Psychological and spiritual aspects of threats to person’s existence

The chapter by Alexander Voznyuk analyzes threats to human existence associated with uncertainty, which acts as a stress factor and triggers psychophysiological effects. Stress, understood as a nonspecific response of the organism to stimuli, is mainly a consequence of the psycho-spiritual state of a person, not only negative environmental factors. The author emphasizes that diseases and threats are usually the result of negative psychological attitudes and inadequate reactions to external stimuli, leading to the emergence of diseases and threats to life. The chapter also discusses the role of worldview and spirituality in health, indicating that harmonizing the inner world of a person can be a basis for treatment and prevention. The author refers to the phenomenon of noogenic neurosis according to V. Frankl and shows how positive attitudes and faith in higher principles can protect against existential threats and stress. The chapter concludes that the key mechanism for reducing threats is faith in a higher order and harmony, which allows for a reduction in uncertainty and an increase in psychological and physical resilience.​