title: The Unconscious God
text: # The Unconscious God
  
  The Unconscious God (German: Der Unbewußte Gott) is a book by Viktor E. Frankl, the Viennese psychiatrist and founder of Logotherapy. The book was the subject of his dissertation for a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1948.
  
  The Unconscious God is an examination of the relation of psychology and religion.
  
  ## Key ideas
  
  The term "the unconscious God" refers to a "hidden relationship with the hidden God".
  
  In his work, Frankl advocates for the use of the Socratic dialogue or "self-discovery discourse" to be used with clients to get in touch with their "Noetic" (or spiritual) unconscious.
  
  Human religiousness is a deeply individual decision, and aligns with the process of discovering meaning in even the most difficult of situations.
  
  In comparing Protestant ministers and parishioners, Frankl contends that a mature involvement with a religious group increases the sense of purpose in life.
  
  ## Published editions
  
  Frankl's book was originally published as Der Unbewußte Gott by Ehrlich Schmidt in 1943; the English language version was published by Simon & Schuster in 1975 under the title The Unconscious God: Psychotherapy and Theology.
  
  