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The Flexibility Hypothesis of Healing.
Devon E Hinton1, Laurence J Kirmayer2
1Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. devon_hinton@hms.harvard.edu.
Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry
|May 5, 2016
Summary
Many healing practices and psychotherapies may enhance well-being by inducing cognitive and emotional flexibility. These methods utilize symbolic interventions, or "flexibility primers," to foster resilience and adaptability.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Healing theories seek universal mechanisms like altered expectations and hope.
- Psychotherapy and healing practices often share underlying psychological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose the "flexibility hypothesis" explaining healing mechanisms.
- To identify symbolic interventions (flexibility primers) that induce cognitive flexibility.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of healing practices and psychotherapy.
- Examination of symbolic interventions within healing rituals.
Main Results:
- Healing and psychotherapy may function by inducing cognitive and emotional flexibility.
- Symbolic interventions ("flexibility primers") can elicit these flexible states.
- Cognitive flexibility is enacted through multiple modalities in healing.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive and emotional flexibility is a key mechanism in healing and psychotherapy.
- Understanding these mechanisms can guide the design of interventions for resilience and well-being.
- The flexibility hypothesis offers a framework for analyzing cultural healing practices.
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