Self-transcendence in View of Abu-Said Abul-Khayr and Victor Frankl

Existence (life) and non-existence (death) are among the joint concerns of man in the past and present. The determination by self or other is a discussion that can be introduced under existence (life). This has been termed as “self-transcendence” by the existential psychologists. Frankl is one of these psychologists that we have compared and contrasted his views with those of Abu-Said Abul-Khayr. According to Frankl, self-transcendence is “moving beyond oneself” and “being able to self-forget”. Abul-Khayr, too, has similar interpretations such as “going beyond oneself” and “being absent in oneself that are close to self-transcendence”. Frankl considers instances of self-transcendence as realization of ideals, serving human beings and love of other people. Abul-Khayr, believing in these, adds avoiding cruelty to and suppression against others, forgiveness, and making donations. In this paper, the influence of Abul-Khayr’s self-transcendence has been categorized under three ethical (attaining modesty), psychological-mental (putting an end to spiritual suffering and being eternal) and social (avoiding violence) entries.