The
Need for Oida-based Approaches
in Psychology
What
is the difference between primitive man and modern man? The answer
is, none. Both of them are thinking, feeling and willing. Both of
them are hearing about their ancestors, praying, drumming, dancing
and wondering how long ago the marvel of life had manifested. All
of them see their dependence on the elements, like water, fire and
air. They see due to the grace of sun and eat due to the grace of
mother earth. They learn how to behave with each other, how to be
grateful to the parents and teachers and how to be compassioned
with those who are depending upon them.
The principle need of every human being at any given time in history
has been the same. That is the reason, why we call the OIDA-therapy
perennial psychology. The OIDA-therapy in its meaning and purpose
is similar with the perennial philosophy, which was again brought
into attention by Aldous Huxley in the 20th century.
The term was originally used by the German philosopher and mathematician,
Leibnitz. He referred with this name to the common underlying principle
in all mystic traditions.
Huxley made a very important distinction within philosophy. Most
professional philosophers never fulfilled the necessary conditions
of direct spiritual knowledge. Therefore their contribution to the
perennial philosophy cannot be considered substantial.
Perennial philosophy is “the metaphysics that recognizes a
divine Reality, substantial to the world of things and lives and
minds; the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to,
or even identical with the divine Reality; the ethic that places
man’s final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent
Ground of all being.”
We developed OIDA-therapy considering all common aspects of knowledge
about man, human happiness, health, the purpose of the human existence,
and the way of reaching the desirable state within every mystic
tradition.
In our understanding OIDA-therapy, the theory and the practice of
perennial psychology, can also be expressed in one single word.
That word is devotion. Devotion is an attitude of dedication towards
God, other human beings and all the other living entities as well.
Devotion is completely opposed to exploitation, which is together
with renunciation, or indifference, the most prominent attitude
found in the world.
We call perennial psychology, what seems to be a constitutional
need. We are trying to find the meaning of our existence, a logical
and mystical interaction between the nature and ourselves and between
ourselves and other living entities. As all human beings are capable
of feeling fear, they are also capable of feeling hope. And as the
mystical traditions of humanity show us, belief in mystical traditions,
either individually or collectively, invokes blessings and other
spiritual gains by the different efforts we make. Especially in
the state of fear, humans feel much inclination towards prayer.
It would not be fair to say, that human beings pray only out of
fear. They also pray to obtain help for material circumstances and
often pray and even accept sacrifice and hardship simply motivated
by their desire to obtain eternal blessings, liberation, spiritual
love or personal relationship with God.
The amount of parallels found in the different mystic traditions,
just like the huge amount of Sanskrit words connected with worship,
gives us the hint that there is no culture on the earth without
a cult. Cult means worship of God. It is here, where OIDA-therapy
begins. OIDA-therapy provides a dignified system for our faith to
develop and maintain our psychological health. It helps humans to
tackle their difficulties, specifically those which arise from a
lack of faith and a desperate material attempt to fill the void
of faith with material items or sensual sensations. It helps
also to tackle the hopelessness and its consequences which lead
to a great amount of pathologies.
OIDA-therapy – based on the Vedic philosophy – provides
guidance for an individual and social life-style.
The psychological methods practiced nowadays are many. But we find
faith also in this modern methods. There is propagation of faith
in angels, faith that the established system knows how to provide
a healthy psychology, and faith in the information, provided by
the patience or the capacity of the psychologist.
But how to reach and maintain health on an individual and on a social
level is increasingly unclear. The suggestions and proposals of
mystical traditions about mental health and human responsibility
give a very practical guidance. It will be proved that sincere followers
of any bonafide tradition will be provided with an excellent foundation
for their psychological health and interactions with other human
beings.
As a result of many personal encounters with eastern teachings,
from the side of western psychologists and therapists, some eastern
techniques, such as meditation, discipline and holistic lifestyles,
have been incorporated to help the patients. The efforts were a
kind of a recognition for the peacefulness and non-aggressive attitude
promoted by eastern techniques. On the other side there was the
dissatisfaction with offerings of the mainstream psychology for
the modern world.
Many of these “new techniques” are already in different
ways incorporated in psychological practice. Still the theoretical
consequences are mostly not taken, not in private practice, nor
in general psychology. Although we know that these “techniques”
are based on a completely different recognition of a person, personality,
ego, the purpose of human life etc, the framework of the Western
psychology, within which they are used, is still the same.
OIDA-therapy offers a theoretical framework of the perennial psychology.
This includes main crucial issues as:
- difference between soul and ego,
- function and place of ego in human life,
- systematic understanding of human responsibility within the
laws of nature,
- need of a non-aggressive attitude towards man and animals for
psychological wellbeing,
- the need to understand that the mistakes of our present behaviour
will return to us in the close or distant future. This is a point
which is supported by statements in all mystical traditions
- different levels of consciousness according to the degree of
personal development
The purpose of OIDA-therapy:
- to create an understanding of psychology:
* which is synthesizing western and eastern knowledge,
* which is creating a broader and more distinguished understanding
of human psyche, and the functioning of it. (broader: means not
only the ego)
- to help individuals to define their own situation, position
and relation to others. This is supposed to enables them to act
freely and bring about the necessary change
- to give practitioners a tool to do the same with their patients
and help them to develop a therapist-patient relationship with
less dependency
- to name the crucial issues for the health of humans and the
society and to make these issues part of public discussions
- to help mystic traditions to present and clarify what they can
offer for the improvement of human health
- to help people who have lost their faith in mystic traditions,
to be able to personally compare them and get to know their positive
contributions
- to help the general public to understand the value of the healing
effects of true mystic traditions
- to introduce the understanding of perennial psychology as the
basis of healthy education for human beings
Please consider:
We are all equals. We all have the same rights and needs. Privileges
are acquired by past efforts and activities. The appropriate
behaviour of our present life will influence our future experiences.
Thus any thing, good or negative, which we do to other living beings,
will effect our psychological health. If we understand that we are
all equal, we can also understand that the human beings of the past
were not primitive and that we do not have any reason to be proud
of anything. It is this pride which makes the people of one nation
feel superior to the people of another nation. The people of one
gender feel superior to the people of another gender. The rich are
feeling superior to the poor; the beautiful and young feeling superior
to the old and frail; the follower of one tradition or ideology
feeling superior to another.
That is mainly the cause for our hostile environment, which makes
people unhappy and unhealthy. All-embracing love curbs this pride
and is promoted by OIDA-therapy. It teaches us that regardless of
the mystical tradition you are following, you have the right to
have your faith, and you have the right to be happy, as long as
you do not give pain to others. |
