Why Do A Group?
by Jan de Nijs, M.D.
The world is big and round, with warm and cold areas and six billion people on it. Given the possibilities of today, everybody can choose that very spot and that very company in which he can be happy. The fact that this is difficult or impossible for most people is mainly due to causes from within. These causes can vary as much as people can vary. Moreover, the blocks that a person carries within, determine his character and situation.
Nowadays we see that many people have silently accepted a certain amount of "discomfort and unhappiness". With a cup of coffee and a cigarette they can just about keep themselves on their feet, and then they sigh, "That's life."
But that is not what life is about. If a person has one duty here, it is the duty to be happy and to bring happiness to others. We could call this "human development".
Where can you go when you feel stuck? When you have got a vague understanding that you could be the cause of your situation yourself? To the doctor, the priest, the psychologist, the psychiatrist, a good friend? These are all people who, apart from some exceptions, are blocked themselves and therefore cannot really be of much help.
They can maybe bring about some relief, or solve a certain conflict, but you will notice that new and similar conflicts will arise again.
Real solutions are possible when you suddenly get a clear insight about your own mental and emotional state. Then you get a bigger variety of possibilities, more independence and more freedom, because you know yourself better.
Psychologists have discovered over the last forty years, that it is possible to create group situations in which every participant benefits from the group's presence in a way that he can see his own personal conflicts very clearly, because of the experience of the moment.
He gets a glimpse of who he truly is. This is a shocking experience. However, in the end it can be pleasantly exciting, if you can accept that you are whom you never thought you were.
If you want, this discovery can be the beginning of change. We can also call it a change of personality or personal growth. If you want to grow, you have to be ready to change. You don't know, where this change will lead to, but it is in any case better than stagnation.
In theory a group could do the work all by itself, without a therapist being there, but then the process would be slow and often new stagnation will occur.
That's why a group benefits enormously from capable group leaders. A good group leader knows exactly which situation is needed at a certain moment, and he can create it through various techniques.
But a good group leader is not only a technician. He must be a person who is de-blocked and de-conditioned for a big part and who has experienced himself in numerous groups what the process is all about.
The experience of a true change of personality is the most beautiful experience there is. Nobody should miss this!
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