Speaking
Dr. Paul Wong
Session 2: The Meaning of Suffering
What is suffering? Why do terrible things happen to good people? How can we make sense of suffering? What can we do about it? In this session, we will introduce a new approach that can help people transcend and transform suffering during the pandemic. Abstract What is...
Integrative Meaning Therapy (IMT)
Abstract The prolonged disruption of life caused by the pandemic and mandatory lockdowns has severely tested the human capacity to adapt. While some people have responded well with resilience, many others have succumbed to various mental illnesses, such as suicide,...
Beyond Happiness and Success: The New Science of Self-transcendence
Abstract This keynote will provide a framework for existential positive psychology (PP 2.0) which embraces suffering as the foundation for flourishing. According to this perspective, the worst thing that can happen after the COVID-19 pandemic is a return to normal...
Meaning Conference 2021: Summit on the Future of Positive Education – Introduction
Abstract This model (Figure 1) complements Erickson's stage model (Erikson & Erikson, 1997) by elaborating the stages of adult development (Cohen, 2005) and adding an existential dimension, which has been shown to be related to mental health in different stages of...
Meaning Conference 2021: Summit on Mental Health – Introduction
Abstract The pandemic has drastically disrupted all aspects of life, such as education, the family, and social life. As a result, anxiety, depression, and emergency department visits for drug overdoses and suicide attempts all rose, according to the data from the...
Meaning Conference 2021: Summit on Global Wellbeing and Honouring Ed Diener
Abstract We want to honour the late Dr. Edward Diener, who laid the foundation for happiness and wellbeing research. No research on wellbeing can get away from his theory and measurement of subjective wellbeing (Diener, 1984; Diener et al., 1985). The lesser-known...
Meaning Conference Summit Symposium on From Suffering to Flourishing – Introduction
Abstract How can we flourish in times of suffering? This is the key question raised by existential positive psychology (PP 2.0). The answer may surprise many people – self-transcendence (ST). The simplest way to define ST is that it is the pathway of personal...
Meaning Conference 2021 Summit Symposium: From Vulnerability to Resilience – Introduction
Abstract The paradoxical truth is that vulnerability can save lives. For example, denying that one is vulnerable to the deadly coronavirus and refusing to be vaccinated has caused many unnecessary deaths. Vulnerability is an existential reality. It becomes our...
Integrative Meaning Therapy workshop
This is Paul T. P. Wong's preconference workshop abstract for the upcoming 11th Biennial International Meaning Conference.The prolonged disruption of life caused by the pandemic and mandatory lockdowns has severely tested the human capacity to adapt. While some people...
Interview with an Executive of a Microblogging Company
Overview* What is your purpose here on this Earth? It’s a big question that most of us don’t exactly know how to answer or where to begin. Some people wake up every morning and know exactly why they’ve been placed on this Earth. Others float through their life...
A Clinical Case of Depression and Anxiety Based On Meaning Therapy And PP 2.0
A tall and dignified woman walked into my office today. She was a recent retiree after a successful professional career. She was intelligent and articulate about her prolonged depression brought on by the death of her first son in his prime, and her present anxiety...
Meaning is the Key to Mental Health and Flourishing
Do you want to have authentic happiness and success? Then pursue meaning! This is the least travelled road, but it is your best bet on finding a fulfilling future according to ancient wisdom and modern science. Hear me out and try it out by attending our next meetup...