Shhh!
In stark contrast to the virtual explosion of western-based psychotherapies in endless varieties and permutations, there are a few Japanese therapies that operate more along the lines of what one might consider to be "meditative" or "contemplative."
Morita therapy, named after a Japanese philosopher-psychiatrist who lived in the early 1900s, is one of those. Typical Morita therapy patients suffer from difficulties with interpersonal relationships, such as shyness and feelings of inferiority. Those undergoing inpatient treatment are assigned one week of bedrest. During this time they are not allowed to converse or engage in any type of extracurricular activity such as smoking, reading, writing, etc. They eat three meals a day, but are only allowed to wash their face once a day and to bathe once a week.
Maybe you can imagine what this first week is like. Typically patients sleep and doze for the first day or two as their bodies adjust to their stark surroundings. Starting at around day three or four patients become increasingly wakeful and anxious to engage in any type of activity. They are instructed to let their feelngs pass and not to be bothered by them. Memories, dreams and reveries are treated in a similar way. By the end of the week, the patient has in a quite natural way been motivated to engage with life again, as if reborn. Some patients report peak experiences or catharsis of some sort that occurs when thoughts, memories and emotions are dealt with without distraction and are allowed to run their full course as the struggle with them naturally subsides.
Sound like zazen? To me it sounds very much like a week-long meditation "sesshin," without the ever-present group and without the pressure to achieve some type of breakthrough at all costs.
More to come. Next time I'll talk about Naikan therapy. Thanks to Dr. Gonsalves for the books.
Morita therapy, named after a Japanese philosopher-psychiatrist who lived in the early 1900s, is one of those. Typical Morita therapy patients suffer from difficulties with interpersonal relationships, such as shyness and feelings of inferiority. Those undergoing inpatient treatment are assigned one week of bedrest. During this time they are not allowed to converse or engage in any type of extracurricular activity such as smoking, reading, writing, etc. They eat three meals a day, but are only allowed to wash their face once a day and to bathe once a week.
Maybe you can imagine what this first week is like. Typically patients sleep and doze for the first day or two as their bodies adjust to their stark surroundings. Starting at around day three or four patients become increasingly wakeful and anxious to engage in any type of activity. They are instructed to let their feelngs pass and not to be bothered by them. Memories, dreams and reveries are treated in a similar way. By the end of the week, the patient has in a quite natural way been motivated to engage with life again, as if reborn. Some patients report peak experiences or catharsis of some sort that occurs when thoughts, memories and emotions are dealt with without distraction and are allowed to run their full course as the struggle with them naturally subsides.
Sound like zazen? To me it sounds very much like a week-long meditation "sesshin," without the ever-present group and without the pressure to achieve some type of breakthrough at all costs.
More to come. Next time I'll talk about Naikan therapy. Thanks to Dr. Gonsalves for the books.
posted by David H at 1:27 AM
2 Comments:
Interestingly enough I trained in Naikan and Morita therapy and received a certificate--(it started as an independent study while at Antioch--we're talking 20+ years ago!!
The one method is better for 'neurotic' type and the other for 'antisocial' type.
I got to learn the difference between what a person is capable of teaching despite deep human flaws. This was a man who preyed upon his students, and saw absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. In my case he 'waited' until the day I had graduated from his class.
I was a co-leader of morita groups along with another student (male). The day I graduated he made a pass at me. Nothing more than that. I was not a very sophisticated person and went into shock--how could my therapist, my teacher do something like this? (When I confronted him he argued that he was no longer my therapist (true, I no longer had sessions with him) and that he was no longer my instructor (true, as of that afternoon we were no longer student/teacher).
Well it was just icky, creepy, weird and unwholesome--the guy was married for pete's sake--but in retrospect, it was one of the most valuable lessons in working with victims, in understanding from the inside, some of the dynamics involved.
I chose to have no further dealings with this guy--I certainly did not want to be setting up a practice with someone of such questionable judgement.
There were other lessons too--what happens when you idealize someone and put them on a pedestal, how the intricate use of rationalization can be applied to banish personal responsibility, and the fact that someone can be a creep and a jerk and you can still learn wrong and right lessons from them and you can learn so so very much about yourself!
Well, well why walk down memory lane when here, right now, in this very moment I can hear my neighbor sneezing, a car is driving down the alley, the air coming in the window is cool and sitting--sitting zazen
is just the perfect way to close this perfect day.
gassho to all teachers past, present and future
Unfortunately, I had a similar experience first time in therapy. It soured me on the whole process for about fifteen years.
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