[Psychological technics and meditation--reflections on some aspects of a borderline treatment area]

The pretentious propagation of psycho-techniques and psychotherapies that claim to be doctrines of salvation has resulted in a continually increasing number of persons who are cheated of their basic wish for meditation by their being led away under false pretences from the initial signs of meditation to merely suggestive or analytical procedures. While psychotechniques are useful and even mandatory for achieving prophylactic and therapeutic goals, they do not help the patient to step out of the self. The need for meditation, however, stems from his encounter with reality. Nevertheless, psychotechnique can support or promote meditation provided one is basically ready to transcend therapy. This would be an important contribution to psychohygiene.