Shintai Psychological Therapy Practice: A Life Philosophy That Follows Nature: A Life Philosophy That Follows Nature

Author: Takashi Takayama
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Since the Shinzen Therapy was founded by Professor Takashi Takayama in 1918, it has already been more than half a century. This therapy completely denies the treatment methods based on Western and European neurosis therapy. At that time in Japan, it was difficult to accept, but due to its true value being proven by numerous experiments, it received high praise. Today, Japan has widely recognized Shinzen Therapy as the best psychological therapy for treating neurosis and has attracted significant global attention. The neurotic symptoms described at the beginning of this book are experienced by almost everyone to some degree. For most people, these experiences are only mild or temporary, and naturally do not require treatment. However, if these symptoms persist and develop into a chronic state, causing pain and hindering the normal progress of daily work, study, and interpersonal relationships, timely treatment is necessary. These symptoms that bring a certain degree of obstruction to social life, as described below, are called neurosis, and this is precisely the target of Shinzen Therapy. Those who suffer from neurosis are completely different from what people commonly refer to as mental illness. Generally, these people appear no different from normal individuals. If the patient hides their symptoms, not only will friends but even relatives almost fail to understand their suffering. Even if the patient expresses their distress, it is difficult for ordinary people to comprehend, which only makes the patient more painful and trapped in a state of helplessness. Neurotic patients are originally steady in character and possess good intelligence, with highly capable qualities. This is fully demonstrated by the lives of those who have been cured. However, those who have not received effective treatment are merely hindered by neurotic symptoms, losing confidence, suffering immensely, and falling into a negative state, unable to fully utilize their abilities. This is truly a pity. In recent years, new psychiatric drugs have continuously emerged, and doctors simply prescribe them when they encounter patients with neurotic symptoms. It should be noted that for neurosis, medication does not provide a radical cure; it can only serve as an auxiliary treatment, providing some degree of calming effect for those who are overly anxious (but medication is essential for depression). Neurosis accounts for most of the neuroses. In practice, it has achieved significant therapeutic effects and has been recognized by most psychiatrists. It is also gaining increasing attention from the medical community in the West and Europe. A book titled Shinzen Psychotherapy written by an American scholar who trained at Takayama Seishoen Hospital has already been published. I have also published numerous articles on Shinzen Therapy in foreign magazines in foreign languages and have been pleased with the encouraging responses. However, Professor Takayama himself once expressed deep regret that his therapy had not yet been recognized abroad. I recall that in 1929, I was taught by Professor Takayama, and in 1937, I succeeded him as a professor of psychiatry and neurology at Jikei University. Since 1940, when I founded Takayama Seishoen Hospital, I have been dedicated to treating neurosis. Only the number of hospitalized patients has already exceeded 5,000. I have devoted myself to this work with passion for more than half a century for two reasons: first, to heal neurotic patients with Shinzen Therapy and help them rejoice in a new life; second, to make more people understand the true value of Shinzen Therapy through clinical practice, thereby further promoting its development. In 1974, on the centennial of Professor Takayama’s birth, I, as an initiator, organized the Centennial Celebration of Professor Takayama with fellow colleagues. At the event, the Collected Works of Takashi Takayama (7 volumes), The Sayings and Deeds of Professor Hyouga, and other publications were released. Lectures were also held in various places. As time passes, fewer and fewer people who directly studied under Professor Takayama or received treatment from him are left. Including these people, the Shinzen School