Krishnamurti was a master psychotherapist. He would definitely not like this statement because all throughout he denied any forms of authority and detested being a guru or a teacher. For me, he has deeply touched the deepest core of my being that helped me to evolve as a human being and also mature as a psychotherapist, right from the first time I have been reading his 3-volume work on, “Commentaries of Living”, a book I have been strongly recommending to psychotherapists, especially those engaged in the art and science of hypnotherapy.
All the around 200 articles on different aspects of human lives have been poignantly touched through the exuberance of an extremely intelligent mind as it weaves through carefully designed stories, allegories, metaphors, symbols, written in the simplest of English and crafted to take one beyond the confines and resistance of the conscious mind. The impact is instantaneously therapeutic and the process is undeniably hypnotic.
The impact of his words which are pithy and didactic is spontaneously trance inducing and almost all the articles deliberate on a lyrical description of a silent nature in the beginning, preparing one into a state of hypnotic somnambulism. Once the attention is drawn, Krishnamurti moves promptly to the central aspect of his teaching gently attacking our unprepared, conditioned mind to the roots, with the tenderness, love, compassion, kindness and poise a mother would discipline a child. The methodology used in this work and elsewhere helped me to design therapy, especially for the ones who delight in intellectual stimulation. The truism in his statements is irrefutable and has qualities of Upanishadic mahavakyas. He is very direct and repetitive in his teachings and his phrases have the quality and weight of proverbs, which I unmistakably use in the form of suggestions in my therapy room.
His was an Ericksonian approach – non-invasive, collaborative, naturalistic and trance inducing. I have often emulated the use of voice and silence Krishnamurti uses in his speeches, like a master story teller. One has to go inwards to fetch the meaning and weight of his pithy and didactic sentences. The rapport is almost immediate and the learning are universal. It is like a powerfully executed post hypnotic suggestion.
For me, his conversational style of exploring issues together has some quality which is beyond the Upanishadic guru-shishya relationship as Krishnamoorthy insists on being just a fellow passenger working through issues together. His unhurried, gentle and layered, non-confrontational approach is designed to guide to the core of one’s being designed and effect an immediate rapport. I have also learned to explore issues in its totality because incompleteness eventually creates conflicts and contradictions, that leads to suffering.
His stress on the individual to affect the first change made me realize the importance of the therapist to work on himself first before attempting on others. The problems find expression in the questions as he teaches us how to frame questions using the power of observation which is devoid of defilement and contamination of thoughts, ideals or beliefs. His essence is one of Sattvic purity and Vedantic oneness, although he is careful not to identify with any form of isms, a quality to be definitely emulated by all practicing therapists. Yes, indeed he was a master psychotherapist.
To read the article in the Krishnamurti Foundation India’s website, please visit here.