The article „Wonder Psychology“ is published in the Bulgarian popular science magazine „8“ on 27 August, 2014.
When people encounter unpleasant situation, they are confronted with a serious problem, many are accustomed relatively easy to despair, giving preponderance of the negative. They feel in a confused situation that seems to have no solution. But they should not. This at least teaches the alternative movement „Wonder Psychology“ that draws inspiration from the philosophical views of social constructivism and the scientific discoveries of cybernetics. The main idea is that everyone creates their own destiny and builds their lives. So also the solutions of the problems exist and can be funny even to absurdity. A lot of psychological and physical pain can be overcome only with a different point of view, a different attitude towards them and a pinch of laughter….
Actually, without thinking and reflecting about it, almost always we react by set a of learned norms and ways. Sometimes this process can lead us to “dead-end” situations in which we feel helpless. And we can overcome them if we exit the frame drawn in our heads. According to “Wonder Psychology” everyone has the resources for creating the desired situations in his life and our happiness and personal development depend on our own actions.
This frame of reference is leading in many approaches which have gained popularity in recent years – Suggestology, NLP, solution focused brief therapy.
Adventure
For now less known is the method which is presented to us by the psychologists Andrey Ganev, Daniel Troev, Aleksey Bachev, Petar Petrov and their association “Wonderful”. The association’s purpose is to help people who struggle with serious problems and to make life a wonderful adventure.
„Wonder psychology“ uses alternative methods, different from the well known therapeutic methods. The focus is on the person’s creative potential. It stimulates and provokes actions which make a change in the pattern and are like „game models“ which help the person to take his situation less serious. The goal is the person’s inner resources, imagination and creativity to be unleashed.
Kazachok
For example when we are in a business meeting with an impornat client, we enter this context and for us exist the business reality with it’s rules, provoking concrete behavior. But imagine for example that your client starts to play kazachok on the table. The whole system will change and so will the behavior of the people involved and the end result will be very different from the expected.
In the same way works the system of the problems. If we prepare for some difficulties in life and we constantly react in the same way towards them – with actions, pills, therapy – we enter and sustain that system. We start to act on it’s rules and we identify with the problem. Until we change our reactions, we will continue to be in the same position, because it is really a solution to a complex situation to come from outside. For this reason one of the main ideas in „Wonder psychology“ is the person to reach out to his own possibilities and resources and to deal on his own with the situation.
“Sometimes it is enough to stop acting in the way in which you expect to solve the problem and it will disappear by itself” states one of the ideas of Andrey and Daniel. “Everyone of us, wants it or not, lives in a system which is constantly changing. Therefore we live by its rules.
Depression
Naturally it is easier on words as in actions. How much does it take – we choose to look at the bright side and begin. But instantly appear two problems. Sometimes we are so absorbed in the problem that we don’t know if there is any good side at all. And second is that sometimes even if we think positively the solution just doesn’t pop up.
Actually here is the main difference between the traditional psychology and “Wonder psychology”.
Classical therapist would put you on a soft sofa and start asking questions about your childhood, old experiences and other themes which would stuck you deeper in the difficult situation.
Classical therapist would put you on a soft sofa and start asking questions about your childhood, old experiences and other themes which would stuck you deeper in the difficult situation.
“Wonder psychology” would let you escape this reality in a most peculiar and unexpected way. The absurd and the humor are main „tools“. It will focus you not in the old, bad experiences but on the work done until now and on the vast future, which you can accomplish for yourself if you leave in the past the problem and take some absurd actions.
One day a woman with depression came to Andrey and Petar. Already taught by the traditional psychotherapy she entered the room and started to tell her problems and difficulties with tears on her eyes.
After a few minutes Petar decided to end this verbal stream and by doing so to stop the learnt pattern. He told the woman that there is no problem if she continues to cry and talk but she would have to pay 10 leva more for the session. She suddenly stopped and started smiling. They all had a laugh which broke the ice. This led to understanding the problem and they could propose an adequate solution.
Thimble
Breaking the rules of the system in which we are in our consciousness stops tormenting itself and finds a different point of view. Then our actions have to follow our thoughts. If we only think about change, without stepping forward to it, our consciousness meets a paradox and a pity feedback loop.
Another woman with depression described her sensations and feelings as a stone stuck in her heart. Then Andrey proposed her to take a clod and to shake and stir it in a glass of water and then to pour it in the sink every time when the problem starts. After a few weeks the woman came back to the psychologist happy with the results – she felt much better and there was no sign from the depression and the “stone”.
This is an example of something untypical and unexpected which changes the point of view to the problem and its system.
In “Wonder psychology” there is no certain method which is used in to treat different “illnesses”. Even in this approach the therapists don’t put diagnoses because with them the person becomes more embodied with his condition. As well as when we buy a product with a label “cheese” we know that it is a milk product with a certain smell, taste, color. The same happens with the label “depression” – we become the illness and we start to react and behave by the set definition. Instead of this they explore more creative and helpful interventions and solutions. Every person is different and also is his solution.
Very often the solution is not directly connected with the cause. The psychologists let the client to find a way out from the situation and only direct him. They are using the strongest assets: nonlinear thinking and absurd. Changing the point of view and choose one which is not burdened with expectations and different from our up to now actions.
In this case the absurd is important because it helps to free ourselves from expectations and to enjoy the process while we are healing. “Wonder psychology” stimulates creativity and nonlinear thinking. While we act expecting a certain result we limit the possible outcomes. But if we do something absurd, which we haven’t done before our consciousness stops perceiving things by the learnt habitual way.
Then every reality is possible and every door for overcoming the situation is open. We remember how strong people we are. We leave the problem reality and our consciousness is freed from it and our unconscious mind starts to work on new frequencies.
Symptom
The process of enjoying the healing and coping is shown from one more case from the work of Aleksey Bachev. A girl came with a diagnose “epilepsy” and she told that before an attack her eyes turn upward and she faints. The psychotherapist propose to her that every time when she remembered to “play” the symptom. But instead a faint after the action of putting her eyes upward to start dancing – which was her hobby as she told later. She liked the idea and after a month the girl called to tell that the faints subside.
The example clearly shows the principles of “Wonder psychology” – joy and happiness from “healing” bring faster and quality results. Unpleasant medications and painful procedures burden more our consciousness. This way it connects the procedures which provoke suffering with the problem which can get more serious.
Exactly how is applied this nonlinear thinking? We find some action, which is not directly linked with the problem, but has an impact on unconscious level – there is the main resource and power of the human being.
At a seminar Petar and Andrey ask for volunteer on which they could use the method. An old lady comes up suffering from an advanced disc disease and a hump, making her unable to stay straight. The psychologists propose to her: to buy a packet of straws with folding stipe which she should straighten up every time she remind about it. It is important every such action to be not done in a fixed time but when the person feels he wants to do it because the person can enter a monotonous system without an exit. After a month of straightening up straws she contacts them. Almost as a wonder there is no sing from the physical problem but also the woman feels more healthy and cheery.
On another seminar a girl with phobia of spiders came. They propose to her to play a spider – they gave to her a few shirts which sleeves played the role of spider feet. She started to walk around the room as she laughed and was having fun. Then she role played a lizard which eats spiders. She put on a tale and started playing around.
During the lunch break as on purpose a spider fell in her dish. The girl with a calm attitude took the spider and put it on the ground – something which was unthinkable to her.
A rose and medical alcohol
A man suffering from psoriasis healed himself for two months. What did they prescribe to him? To write down words from every letter of the illness. He stopped when he felt that he has enough words. They he chose the ones which he liked the most and came up with a concrete action with them (Example: to give a Rose and a medical alcohol to someone). Executing the concrete action he overcame the disease. Again there is no visible logic, but we have an illustration on the indirect connection between the action and the solution.
Another fascinating case is with a severe burning. A girl which poured boiled water on her foot had a booked operation for implanting skin. She decided to try out the effects of “Wonder psychology”. They propose to her to make a drawing of her leg on a sheet of paper. Then on every next sheet she should draw her wound smaller and smaller. Symbolically she put a cherry in her fridge which should care for the wound to be kept cooler. After few days she consulted again with the doctors and they said that there is no need for an operation any more.
“Wonder psychology” is another proof how great is the human potential and how less we know about our capacities. Also that many problems or illnesses, regarded as physical, have a cause in our consciousness patterns.
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