The Imaginarium Of "Doctor" Hellinger - Society

Mikhail Vershinin, social psychologist, member of the International Association for the Study of Cults ICSA

and the Russian Psychological Society

Evgeny Volkov, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of General Sociology and Social Work of

N. N. N. I. Lobachevsky

The ability of people to create illusions and confident (in the sense of believing) stay in them is limitless. This ability has no social or professional boundaries. The field of psychotherapy is the most fertile field for its manifestation. Psychologists themselves sometimes plunge into the illusory world of useless psychological dietary supplements and “drag off” clients

Anton HELLINGER

("Bert" is a nickname from the Catholic order) was born in 1925 into a German Catholic family. He studied at a Catholic monastery boarding school.

In 1942 he was drafted into the Wehrmacht and took part in hostilities on the Western Front. Studied Catholic theology, philosophy at the University of Würzburg.

In 1952 he was sent to serve in a mission school in South Africa. Received additional education and became a Bachelor of Arts. He took an active part in shamanic rituals.

In 1970 he moved to Vienna, where he studied psychoanalysis, and later - NLP and family therapy.

In the early 1980s, he began to form his own "scientific approach", which later became known as "systemic family constellations." He is the author and co-author of over 30 books.

In 2007 he founded his own school.

Since 2008, he has banned the use of his name to centers and associations of fans of "constellations" that have not entered into a special agreement on contributions with him.

SHAMANIC BOUQUET

In Russia, the level of university and postgraduate education of psychologists is extremely low. Plus (more precisely, an additional minus) - people who do not have serious professional training in psychology and psychotherapy can freely work in the "soul-helping" industry. All this bunch of factors leads to a rapid flowering of pseudoscientific and literally shamanic approaches to psychological assistance, which resembles a boom in dietary supplements. Everyone praises, everyone is interested and very accessible. And the results - who thinks about them when the process is so entertaining ?!

The method of the so-called "family constellations" by the German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger is also shamanic. In our opinion, this is nothing more than a dietary supplement from psychology, which seems to be an affordable and useful tool. The popularity and prominence of this psycho-dummy began to grow after the success of the book "Two Kinds of Happiness: Systemic Psychotherapy by Bert Hellinger." After its publication, Hellinger formed a family constellation association and began to gather audiences of hundreds of participants. The super-tool, of course, was created using scientific terminology and a jumble of different approaches and methods in order to look "scientific" and "authoritative." Like most other pioneers of destructive cults and false teachings, Hellinger was unable to go further and form his own closed cult, where all his fans were tightly controlled and controlled. However,this did not prevent him from "becoming famous" for strange "statements", revelations and demands for his followers.

POEMS OF THE "PROPHET" TO HITLER

Few of the "family constellators" will tell you that:

• Hellinger wrote a "letter-verse to Hitler", where he urged to find a piece of the Fuhrer in himself and to respect this neoplasm.
• At the same time, he changed his place of residence, moving for some time to the Bavarian town of Stanggasse, having chosen one of the dictator's offices.
• In a number of his postings, Hellinger said that "there were many decent people in the SS troops, most of whom could not resist the movement they were in."
• Hellinger's wife, Marie Sophie, opened a spa business in the Obersalzberg salt mine. This place is considered a "place of power" among the esotericists of Europe.
• Hellinger refers to incest as a manifestation of love in the family and a means of balancing family relationships. He also insists that bringing the perpetrator of incest to justice harms rather than helps the victim to cope with the consequences (for link lovers - an interview with Hellinger in the book: Zweierlei Gluck. Die systemische Psychotherapie Bert Hellingers. Heidelberg, 2001).
• His views on violence, abortion, modern technologies of conception, organ transplantation, and more are “unusual”. For example, he cites unfair treatment of past male partners as the cause of breast cancer. And the reason for homosexuality, in his opinion, is that the boy takes over the feelings of his deceased sister, if there is not a single woman in the family to do so.
• In 2009, part of the constellations at a conference in Vienna expressed concern that "in the development of the Hellinger's work, there has been a consistent and growing tendency to use methods of manipulating the masses, similar to those used by religious sects, as well as totalitarian and fascist regimes and organizations."
• The German Society for Systemic Therapy and Family Therapy (DGSF) considers Hellinger's methods "unethical and dangerous for those who practice them."
• Marie Sophie Hellinger called Hellinger a prophet in front of a mass audience. People were asked to loudly repeat the words “Yes! Yes! Yes!”While raising his hand. At first, this gesture was prescribed to be done by clenching the palm into a fist, and later - with fingers extended forward, as in the greeting "Heil Hitler".
• In Germany, Hellinger is banned from therapy, but allowed to do "systemic constellations."
• Six books have been published on the danger and destructive signs of movement using the methods of systemic constellations.

This list can be continued for a very long time, but let's think about how Bert Hellinger is captivating the public.

REASONS FOR SUCCESS

What is the basis for the popularity of "constellations" among psychologists of various qualifications, as well as among the public?

1. On simplicity and ease

The client absolutely does not have to strain and the presenter to sweat over anything except the skill of the showman-improviser. In ordinary language, such behavior patterns are called laziness and hack. We foresee the stormy indignation of both affected parties and certainly do not expect a voluntary confession of these sins.

2. On the uncertainty of tasks and results

Once again, they can angrily object to us that specific problems are posed and the results are striking in their obviousness. But compare, for example, two formulations: “I want to improve relations with my loved ones” and “I want, as a result of the constellation, to acquire such and such skills of behavior and communication that would allow me to get out of depression within a month. and avoid it in the future. " If we are told that constellations do not solve such trivial problems, then this will only reinforce our position: even in fairy tales, formulations like “go there, I don’t know where, and bring something, I don’t know what” are only methods of mocking the characters, and the solution is always objectively and tangibly.

3. Ease of manipulation of interpretations

When formulating vague tasks and results, the "horoscope effect" is triggered - a person involuntarily inscribes clear personal pictures into a muddy framework and begins to enthusiastically accept this self-deception for an amazing penetration into the depths of his life.

4. On the commonality of the mythology of everyday consciousness and social stereotypes

Most of us have almost the same ideas about life, relationships and behavior. It costs nothing to launch and play out an emotional action on this basis, and no mystical "knowing field" is behind it.

5. On uncriticality

Constellation leaders and their clients most likely have not read about the phenomenon of false memory, when people confidently recall something that never happened or that relates to their age, which they objectively cannot remember anything about. In constellations, however, any "recollection" of anything is taken at face value.

EFFECT "RUSSIAN ROULETTE"

Let's summarize. Conscientious objectors shamelessly ignore not only some inaccessible latest scientific data, but long and well experimentally studied socio-psychological and cognitive phenomena and mechanisms that make it possible to give much more mundane and well-grounded explanations for constellation performances and the impressions of their characters.

There are many factors in constellations that contribute to a rather strong impact on the unprepared and believers - there is no other definition you can find - clients. First of all, this is the presence of other people, their emotional and ritual complicity, bodily contact - in such conditions, many become gullible and manipulated to such an extent that the "dietary supplement sellers" will envy. Secondly, the presenter expounds and instills a beautiful mythology, as it were, of a “scientific” concept that is not disputed by anyone.

Thirdly, this mythology is immediately played in bodies and faces, which is why it acquires the status of a living tangible truth. And rarely available in ordinary life and skillfully warmed up emotions cement the foundation of the market success of the constellation scam.

We could put an end here, but we want to clarify that certain benefits for some participants in constellations can and do happen from time to time - reflections and emotional immersion in the analysis of human relations, even in a mythical context, can push people to reasonable and constructive conclusions. But such outcomes in constellations are accidental exceptions, the rule is the suggestion and maintenance of false ideas about oneself, and about others, and about the world - and the material success of the leaders.

However, if one or another "psychological dietary supplement" unexpectedly helped or did not harm you, then you need to understand that your game of "Russian roulette" was successful, but until the next pull of the trigger.