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that logotherapeutic techniquewhich will enable the patient/clientto achieve this at­
tention-shift (Guttmann 1996:90).
Lukas (1980) points out that in logotherapyone must offer a part ofoneself in order
to awaken a part ofthe patient/clientto a life ofmeaning. To gain from dereflection
one must be ready to sacrifice. Itrequires an immenseeffort and folerance offrustra­
tion by the therapist. However, before applyingthis technique, one must make sure
that there is no physiological cause present, and that it rather safely can be assumed
that the roots lie elsewhere, most likelyin the client's/patient's exaggerated self-ob­
servationor hyper-intention.
How does dereflection work practically? The logotherapistwill first reduce the pa­
tient's/client's hyper-reflection on bimselflherself, an "alternative list" will'then be
drawn np and lastly one of these alternativeswill be selected. The "doing" ofthe
"choice' will assist and help the client/patientto be more goal-directedand to over­
come the negative symptom/problem/feeling (Guttmann 1996:101-106).
This techniqueis based on the human capacity to rise above limitingand constricting
circumstances and situations and to take a stand toward them. Rising above and be­
yond conditions that imprisonthe human spirit and cause undue suffering opens new
doors before the eyes ofthe sufferer. In short this means that the essence ofdereflec­
tion is to counteract the negativeforces and to turn them into human achievements.
The technique itselfserves as a vehiclefor directingthe individual toward higher and
more positive goals in life. Because people, from a religiousperspective, have been
placed into this world to contnbute to its improvement, anythingthatprevents this
must be regarded as problematic. Guttmann (1996:106) correctly said that when so-
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