Rollo May's Theory in Existential Psychology | Overview & Stages

Stage of Innocence

The first stage is the stage of innocence. People go through this stage early in life when they lack free will or intention. A good way to understand this stage is to think of a baby. A baby does not make decisions or face choices. They also lack control of their own lives. They lack the ability to think critically or act independently, and so they merely exist. However, any aged person could be in this stage. It can include anyone who is stuck in a stage of just being and does not take control over their own life.

State of Rebellion

The state of rebellion is the second stage. During this stage, a person is a lot like the stereotypical teenager. They act rebelliously, questioning their lives and authority and testing boundaries. However, as with a teenager, this stage also represents a lack of maturity. A person in a state of rebellion is experiencing a lot of new feelings and ideas. However, they lack the maturity to understand that there is a lot of work that goes into controlling one's own life. For example, some teenagers desperately want to live on their own and escape the rules of their families. However, many do not consider the cost of living independently. They may become isolated from their support network and living on one's own is expensive. Rent and bills need to be paid and the person also needs a job to support themselves. In this stage of rebellion, a person is much like a teenager. They want new things and changes in their lives but do not understand how to realistically change their circumstances.

People in the stage of rebellion act much like teenagers do

State of Ordinary Existence

The state of ordinary existence describes "ordinary" or average people. These individuals live their day-to-day lives without question. They embrace the ordinary and rarely challenge themselves or think or act creatively. People in this stage may have once had free will, but have surrendered it to the day-to-day monotony of life in the modern world.

Stage of Creative Existence

The stage of creative existence is the final stage of development. To May, this was the ultimate goal of human existence. People in this stage are creative and embrace their free will. They contribute positively to the world around them. They are able to face uncertainty and anxiety by dealing with it head-on, instead of avoiding it. In this final stage, May promotes an idea central to humanistic psychology called self-actualization. When one self-actualizes in this final stage, their potential is fulfilled. They understand their life's purpose and feel more comfortable in their understanding of their own existence.