Die gebruik van meditasie en visualisering in pastorale terapie met tipiese probleme van die vroeë volwassene (student)

English: Recently meditation and visualization have acquired some prominence in the media. This has given rise to the question whether meditation and visualization can be used in pastoral therapy. Can right brain methods be employed to a larger extent in pastoral therapy and can meditation and visualization play a role in this? Traditionally churches have regarded meditation with some scepticism. This study investigated whether meditation and visualization can be regarded as Biblically sound, and whether Church history tells us more about the early use of visualization and meditation. Pastoral methods were investigated to establish an epistemology which could serve as an approach. The models investigated were: Heitink’s bipolar model, Clinebell’s eductive model, Louw’s convergence model and the narrative model. An eclectic approach was preferred with meditation and visualization being used as components within the combined application of all the above models. Brain functions play their part in meditation and visualization. The function of inter alia the reptile brain was discussed. It was concluded that meditation and visualization assist in converting the brain’s fight or flee reaction. It was also observed that during meditation brainwaves are in the Alpha phase which makes the brain susceptible to suggestion. This is why meditation ahead of visualization is important in order to prepare the brain for suggestion. Development tasks incumbent on the early adolescent were investigated. General characteristics of Generation X were delineated. A possible method was proposed where meditation and visualization were used as components of pastoral therapy. This method was applied to five clients.