| H |
Since
curing the patient's pain was the centerpiece
of your treatment, so its progress was
definite. |
| R |
am not confined to certain methods.
It is mentioned in the article about
the lecture of Eric Kandel, and appears
in Time magazine, but now everything
is progressing in a way that I predicted.
The ongoing development of neuroscience
has verified and proven Eastern Tao.
|
| H |
After
your experiences in Korea you went to
study psychotherapy in the US in 1954
for 4 years, upon returning you studied
about Tao. Were there any special moment
of awareness to be suddenly intensified
(expanded)? Or was it a case of continuous
maturity? |
| R |
Due
to the advent of the field of Western
psychoanalyst there was an increase
in concern about mental health. I wondered
should I follow their work or was there
something similar to that in our own
culture?
I found that there has been
the Eastern Tao ever since 2600 years
ago while the West had found the unconsciousness
only in the 19th century. This was the
reason why I began to have an interest
in the Tao. |
| H |
So
you were able to confirm that Tao was
in such a position. And it seems like
you were able to further confirm it
while in the US. So you went to study
psychoanalysis there but instead it
became a confirmation of the Tao. |
| R |
You
are right. Plus while I was in the US
as a psychiatrist the chief of a ward
kept asking me why I hadn't become the
Senior Psychiatrist, he even claimed
I was better than him. And another chief
of a ward mentioned his diagnosis were
similar to mine and 80% is same but
in fact the only 20% differences is
only by the reason of some small difference
of understandings.
Dr. Su Gon Kim came to me before he
left for the US and said, when a Korean
military doctor went to study to Bellevue
Hospital, once realizing he was from
Korea they asked him if he knew Dr.
Rhee and when he said no, they described
me as an excellent psychiatrist. I diagnosed
a patient with Organic Brain Syndrome
and it was confirmed while different
from other doctors' diagnoses.
I haven't passed on my entire experiences
to any of my disciples. A Japanese psychiatrist
from Kyoto University whose father was
a professor at Osaka Medical school
said, upon my return from the US I visited
Bellevue hospital and the Japanese doctor
said, "An American intern mentioned
that Dr. Rhee has the sharpest clinical
eyes in Bellevue. Well there were many
cases where I could diagnose what the
others couldn't. |
| H |
So
it would be good if you could pass the
critical parts of your knowledge to
your disciples |
| R |
That
is the problem, they are all caught
up with something else. The mind and
body are not 2 different elements. But
many people believe that psychiatric
problems are only related to the pathology
of the brain. Kandel (Eric Kandel Uses
Lecture to Change Minds of Psychiatrists
by Jim Rosack, Psychiatric News; XXXVI,
Number 12; June 15, 2001) had proven
this after 40 years of research. He
argued the brain is shaped by both memories
and experiences |
| H |
These
days most psychiatrists feel that Psychosis
is an Organic Disease isn't it? |
| R |
Yes,
this idea itself is backdated when compared
to the latest developments in this field. |
| H |
Of
course Organic Change occurred but this
was due to experience. The fact that
a change in the brain came about due
to experiences was deleted and they
only deal with the change in brain itself
right? |
| R |
Yes,
Kandel the Nobel Prize winner researched
it. Psychotherapy provides, what Alexander
called Corrective Emotional Experience,
new experiences. |
| H |
It
shapes a new brain |
| R |
Yes,
Taopsychotherapy is exactly this. A
patient would be live in a frozen land
with the cold of the winter and the
doctor would provide the warmth of spring.
And spring is compassion, treatment
should be done with compassion. |
| H |
Is
there a special treatment for schizophrenia
in Taopsychotherapy? |
| R |
Schizophrenia
and other mental disorders are all the
same. Their similarity in psychotherapy
is compassion, meaning they can be cured
by compassion. With compassion perfect
empathic response would be made. In
other words treatment can take place
through empathic reply. While growing
up if there is no empathic response
from parents or mother, or empathic
failure, it can lead to mental disorder |
| H |
How
do you explain the psychotic symptoms
in Taopsychotherapy? |
| R |
During
the so called Pregenital period when
hurt at an earlier period it would lead
to psychosis. It depends on at which
developmental stage the patient had
gotten hurt. But in psychotherapy therapist
treats these patients feelings through
a doctor's compassion. So psychosis
is very vulnerable, and treatment must
occur accordingly at its ego strength.
In the case of neurotic it can be quickly
solved but psychosis requires a few
years to treat, and in some cases there
is even a 10 years or more treatment
period. Even if a therapist realizes
patient's problem, he should wait for
a long time. The ego strength is critical. |
| H |
Isn't
this a similar opinion with Western
psychotherapists? |
| R |
Yes,
there are many similarities |
| H |
It
is a problem from the earlier period
of the developmental stage.
(Will be continued.) |
