On crisis
“The critical situation specific to the internally complex and externally difficult lived world is crisis. A crisis is a turning-point in the individual’s life road. The life road itself, so far as it is completed and seen in retrospect, is the history of the individual’s life, and so far as it is as yet uncompleted and seen in phenomenological prospect, it is the intent of life, for which value provides inner unity and conceptual integrity. Intent as related to value is perceived, or rather felt, as vocation, and as related to the temporal and spatial conditions of existence, as the life-work. This work of life is translated into material terms as actual projects, plans, tasks and goals, achievement of which means giving embodiment to the life intent. When certain events make realisation of the life intent subjectively impossible, a crisis situation occurs.
The outcome of experiencing a crisis can take two forms. One is restoration of the life disrupted by the crisis, its rebirth’ the other is its transformation into a life essentially different: But in either case it is something like bringing one’s life to birth afresh, of building up a self, constructing a new self, i.e., creation, for what is creation but “bringing into existence” or building up?” (p. 139-140)Reference:
Vasilyuk, F. (1991). The psychology of experiencing: The resolution of life’s crititcal situations. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf.