The Suffering Hypothesis: Viktor Frankl’s Spiritual Remedies and Recent Developments

The authors propose that suffering is a fertile ground for existentialism and the human quest for meaning, and the suffering hypothesis based on Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy. They also propose that Wong’s existential positive psychology is a promising framework for wellbeing research and meaning-centered interventions. They explain in detail the benefits of Frankl’s spiritual (noëtic) remedies for human suffering through meeting human beings’ deepest spiritual yearning and need for meaning and transformation. Finally, they introduce recent developments in research that support and extend the basic concepts of logotherapy. They conclude that Frankl’s pioneering work on meaning provides the most promising spiritual remedies to turn hell into heaven in all cultures.