Viktor Frankl’s Legacy of Self-Transcendence with Alexander Vesely

Aug 27, 2025

In a thought-provoking discussion, Alexander Vesely, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and psychotherapist, shares insights about his grandfather, Viktor Frankl. They delve into Frankl's harrowing experiences in a concentration camp that inspired Logotherapy, emphasizing the human quest for meaning. Vesely highlights the stunning impact of storytelling and film on mental health, reflecting on how self-transcendence fosters resilience. His film 'Viktor & I' is a heartfelt homage that celebrates the legacy of purpose-driven living.

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INSIGHT

Logotherapy Focuses On Meaning

Viktor Frankl founded logotherapy as a meaning-centered psychotherapy that treats humans as meaning-seeking beings.
He called it the noetic dimension, emphasizing a human core beyond symptoms that can choose attitudes toward conditions.

ANECDOTE

Digitizing Grandpa's Tapes Sparked Discovery

As a teen, Alexander digitized his grandfather's tapes to preserve them and unexpectedly learned logotherapy by listening.
That archival work later led him to interview people who revealed other sides of Viktor Frankl.

INSIGHT

Fulfillment Comes From Self-Transcendence

Healthy human functioning is outward-oriented: people find fulfillment by transcending themselves toward tasks and others.
Happiness is a side effect of meaning, not the primary goal, and self-transcendence reduces neurotic self-focus.

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On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth invites Alexander Vesely, award-winning documentary filmmaker, psychotherapist, and the grandson of Dr. Viktor Frankl, to share anecdotes about his grandfather and the evolution of Logotherapy.

The pair recalls Viktor’s deportation to a Nazi concentration camp and his heartbreaking experiences there. The devastation eventually informed Viktor’s theory, known as Logotherapy, which posits that those who are oriented towards finding meaning even in the most dire circumstances are more likely to feel fulfilled. Alexander also discusses his film Viktor & I, an intimate portrait of his grandfather as revealed by those who worked with, studied under, and loved him.

About Alexander Vesely:

Alexander Vesely, M.Sc., Dr. h.c., is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, licensed psychotherapist specializing in Logotherapy and Existential Analysis, and the grandson of Dr. Viktor Frankl, author of the classic Man’s Search for Meaning. Vesely serves as Director of the Viktor Frankl Media Archives in Vienna, Co-Founder of the Viktor Frankl Institute of America, and Director of the Online Academy for Logotherapy at the Elisabeth Lukas Archive. His work uniquely bridges the worlds of psychology and cinema, carrying forward his grandfather’s legacy through both film and therapeutic practice.

Vesely’s films – such as the acclaimed Viktor & I and Wizard of the Desert – explore the lives and philosophies of influential figures in psychology, earning international awards and recognition. Beyond the screen, he is a sought-after speaker on meaning-centered psychotherapy, teaching and lecturing worldwide. Vesely lives in Vienna with his wife and son, where he also maintains a private psychotherapy practice.

Learn More:

Viktor Frankl Institute of America

Online Academy for Logotherapy at the Elisabeth Lukas Archive

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