As One Lives, So One Dies: On the Life and Death of Great Psychotherapists

This non-fiction book addresses the major theme of life and death in a unique way: it focuses on the founders of psychotherapy schools and discusses their lifestyle, their style of dying, and their work. How did they live? What trials and tribulations did they go through in the course of their lives? What crises did they experience, and how did they overcome them? What conclusions did they draw from these experiences? And finally: how did they die? Engaging and easy to read, it reveals that their attitude towards life and death influences the development of their respective psychotherapy methods. Written for interested laypeople, practicing and training psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and counselors. Content Overview: Freud, Jung, Adler, Moreno, Perls, Reich, von Dürckheim, Peseschkian – their perspectives on life and death and its significance for their psychotherapy schools. About the Author: Werner Gross, Dipl.-Psych., psychotherapist, supervisor and coach, organizational and business consultant. Preface: Prologue Contents About the Author 1 Sigmund Freud (1856–1939): The Morphine-Dulled Pain of Dying 1.1 Childhood and Youth 1.2 Studies 1.3 Josef Breuer 1.4 Martha Bernays—Starting a Family 1.5 Cocaine 1.6 Charcot and Hypnosis 1.7 From Physiology to Psychology 1.8 Cathartic Method 1.9 Wilhelm Fließ 1.10 Free Association and Couch 1.11 Psychoanalysis 1.12 Sexuality 1.13 Self-analysis: Where Id was, Ego shall be 1.14 Psychoanalytic Movement 1.15 Marriage and Family 1.16 Physical Constitution and Diseases 1.17 Libido and Destrudo 1.18 The Destruction of the Life’s Work 1.19 Exile in London 1.20 Euthanasia Morphine 1.21 Sapere aude 1.22 The Third Great Humiliation of Humanity 1.23 Conclusion Further Reading 2 Interlude I: On Aging 2.1 Wisdom in Old Age—Senility—Stubbornness in Old Age 2.2 Three Types of Age 2.3 Review Further Reading 3 Alfred Adler (1870–1937): Sudden Death During a Walk 3.1 Childhood and First Illnesses 3.2 Family Situation 3.3 School, Studies, and Start of Career 3.4 Starting a Family 3.5 Freud—Adler 3.6 Setting Variables 3.7 Separation 3.8 Individual Psychology 3.9 Compensation Ability 3.10 Unconscious Life Plan 3.11 Community Feeling and Life Goal 3.12 Activities 3.13 Educational Counseling Centers and Children’s Clinics 3.14 Adler’s Image of Humanity 3.15 Educational Ideas in “Red Vienna” 3.16 Publications and Lecture Tours 3.17 Relocation to the USA 3.18 Last Days 3.19 Cremation and Honorary Grave in Vienna 3.20 The Social Genius 3.21 Conclusion Bibliography 4 Interlude II: On Dying 4.1 Death as the Great Equalizer 4.2 A Fairy Tale Further Reading 5 Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957): Destruction of a Heretic 5.1 Emotional Illiterates 5.2 “Emotional Plague” 5.3 Inner World Pollution 5.4 Libido Theory 5.5 Childhood and Youth 5.6 Psychoanalysis 5.7 The Function of the Orgasm 5.8 Psychoanalysis and Marxism 5.9 Character Analysis 5.10 Emigration 5.11 Orgone I 5.12 From Libido to Bioenergy 5.13 Armorings 5.14 Practice 5.15 Physiology and Psychology 5.16 Orgone Therapy 5.17 Scandinavia—USA 5.18 Savior 5.19 Orgon II 5.20 Einstein 5.21 Charlatanism and Persecution 5.22 Destruction of the Life’s Work 5.23 Prison and Death 5.24 Conclusion Bibliography 6 Interlude III: The Phases of Dying 6.1 Denial 6.2 Anger 6.3 Bargaining 6.4 Depression 6.5 Acceptance 6.6 Individuality Further Reading 7 Jacob Levy Moreno (1889–1974): “Playing God” or Directing Until the Last Scene 7.1 Birth—Truth(s) and Poetry 7.2 Religious Influences 7.3 Name Changes 7.4 Religious Maturity 7.5 Working with Marginalized Groups 7.6 Sociometry 7.7 Literary Avant-Garde 7.8 Impromptu Theater 7.9 Emigration to the USA 7.10 From Impromptu Play to Psychodrama 7.11 Taking Responsibility with the Action Method 7.12 Psychodrama: Approaches 7.13 Psychodrama: Procedure 7.14 Psychodrama: Roles 7.15 Psychodrama: Techniques 7.16 Psychodrama: Precursors 7.17 Stabilization 7.18 Publications 7.19 Beacon Hill Sanatorium and Moreno Institute 7.20 International Recognition 7.21 Women and Family 7.22 Daily Routine and Personality 7.23 The Wise Elder 7.24 Starvation? 7.25 Directing Until the Last Scene 7.26 Conclusion Further Reading 8 Interlude IV: Types of Death and Styles of Dying 8.1 Definition and Transitions 8.2 Natural and Unnatural Causes of Death 8.3 Taboo Topic 8.4 Classification and Philosophical Interpretation Further Reading 9 Fritz Perls (1893–1970): “You Will Not Tell Me What to Do” 9.1 Education 9.2 Exile 9.3 Gestalt Therapy 9.4 Human Potential Movement 9.5 Image of Humanity 9.6 Philosophy 9.7 Publications and Esalen 9.8 Restlessness and Impatience 9.9 Gestalt Prayer 9.10 Awareness, Here and Now, and Growth 9.11 Freud and Perls 9.12 Gestalt Therapy and Gestalt Psychology: Foundations 9.13 Sources of Gestalt Therapy 9.14 Psychoanalysis 9.15 Gestalt Psychology 9.16 Behaviorism 9.17 Psychodrama 9.18 Zen Buddhism 9.19 Existentialism and Phenomenology 9.20 Wisdom of the Organism 9.21 Practice 9.22 Gestalt Kibbutz 9.23 Restlessness 9.24 Illness and Death 9.25 Dance of Death 9.26 Conclusion Bibliography 10 Interlude V: Grief and Humor 10.1 Grief is not a Disease 10.2 Stages of Grief 10.3 Numbness and Stupor: 10.4 Sadness and Longing: 10.5 Disorganisation, Searching and Separation 10.6 New Orientation and Recovery 10.7 Laughing Tears: Grief and Humor 10.8 Humor as a Coping Strategy 10.9 Humor and Cynicism Further Reading 11 Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961): Anticipation of the Coming Adventure 11.1 Personality No. 1 and No. 2 11.2 Mother 11.3 Father 11.4 Family 11.5 Faints 11.6 High School 11.7 Studies 11.8 Burghölzli 11.9 Dissertation 11.10 Starting a Family 11.11 Jung’s Relationship with Freud 11.12 Points of Contention 11.13 Analytical Psychology 11.14 The Scandalous Affair: Sabina Spielrein 11.15 Toni Wolff 11.16 Private Practice and Travels 11.17 The Reputation Rises 11.18 National Socialism 11.19 Honesty and Humility 11.20 Near-Death Experiences 11.21 Suffering Success 11.22 Death of the Wife 11.23 Preparations for Dying 11.24 Initial Dreams 11.25 Death Wedding Procession 11.26 Saying Goodbye 11.27 “How wonderful ...” 11.28 Hour of Death 11.29 Synchronicity and Reincarnation 11.30 Funeral 11.31 Conclusion Bibliography 12 Interlude VI: Finiteness—Lifetime—Dying Time (Small Exercises) 12.1 The Temporal Questions 12.2 How Do I Want to Die? 12.3 And After? Further Reading 13 Karlfried Graf Dürckheim (1896–1988): Endured Pain During Conscious Transition 13.1 First Experience with Death 13.2 Military Service in the 1st World War 13.3 Studies 13.4 Religion and Mysticism 13.5 University of Leipzig 13.6 Nazi Era 13.7 Japan and Zen 13.8 Todtmoos-Rütte 13.9 Initiatic Therapy 13.10 Rütte Impulse 13.11 Appreciation 13.12 Limitations 13.13 The Door Opens Inward 13.14 Daily Routine 13.15 In the Face of Death 13.16 Hour of Death 13.17 Conclusion Further Reading 14 Interlude VII: Images of Humans and Therapy Goals in Psychotherapy Further Reading 15 Nossrat Peseschkian (1933–2010): Death in Sleep 15.1 Origin and Extended Family 15.2 Kashan 15.3 Mother 15.4 Baha’i 15.5 School Time 15.6 Father 15.7 Music and Literature 15.8 Medicine 15.9 Wanderer between Two Worlds 15.10 German Language—difficult Language 15.11 Studies 15.12 Bridge Builder 15.13 From Body to Psyche 15.14 Private Practice 15.15 Myth Therapy and Differentiation Analysis 15.16 Positive Psychotherapy 15.17 Positum 15.18 Publications 15.19 Balance Model: Four Areas of Life 15.20 The Three Stages of Interaction 15.21 The Five-Step Treatment Strategy: 15.22 Use of Stories, Aphorisms, Jokes 15.23 The Other View of Symptoms 15.24 Personal Contact 15.25 Active Until the Last Moment 15.26 Funeral 15.27 Further Development 15.28 Conclusion Bibliography 16 Epilogue: Live Your Dying Further Reading