Customer Reviews

Psychotherapy and Religion in Japan: The Japanese Introspection Practice of Naikan (Japan Anthropology Workshop Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Japanese introspection practice of Naikan is a fascinating example of a meditation-like self-cultivation practice that lies on the border of psychotherapy and spirituality. Through it, individuals probe into their own past experiences and their relationships with other people in their life, asking "What did I receive from this person? What did I give back to this person? What trouble did I cause this person?" Through this simple method, over the period of a week, they come to recognize profound truths regarding the interdependence of their lives, and the infinite small kindnesses others have shown them over time. The ensuing feelings of gratitude free up psychological and even at times physical blockages to allow relief and transformation.

Written in a very clear style and easily accessible by both layperson and scholars, this book provides an excellent description and analysis of the practice of Naikan. One chapter is devoted to the narratives of Naikan clients themselves as they progress through their week of Naikan; this chapter is especially gripping, as the reader is able to journey along with the clients as they engage in the inner struggle that ensues when their preconceived negative perceptions and judgments of others are undermined by their own sustained reflection and remembering.

This book will be of value to general readers with an interest in meditation, introspection and psychotherapy. It is also an important contribution to the field of psychological and medical anthropology, as it provides an important analysis of a non-western psychotherapeutic method that works on the levels of both body and mind. It is also significant in that it relates Naikan back to the Buddhist psychological insights upon which the method was originally based, and which it still in many ways embodies.

This book is a 'must have' for all social anthropologists. I found this book to be essential in my research re Japanese-American religious syncretism and associated social value practices.