Die gebruik van meditasie en visualisering in pastorale terapie met tipiese probleme van die vroeë volwassene (student) - Heymans, Anna Margretha Susanna (University of the Free State, 2008)
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.

In die resente media is baie gemaak van meditasie en visualisasie. Die vraag het ontstaan of meditasie en visualisasie in pastorale terapie gebruik kan word. Kan regterbrein-metodes beter betrek word in pastorale terapie en kan meditasie en visualisasie moontlik hierin ‘n rol speel? Tradisioneel staan kerke skepties teenoor meditasie. Hierdie studie het ondersoek ingestel of meditasie en visualisasie Bybels verantwoordbaar is. Daar word verder gekyk of die geskiedenis ons meer kan leer van die vroeë gebruik van visualisasie en meditasie. Pastorale modelle word ondersoek om die epistemologie te bepaal waaruit gewerk gaan word. Die modelle wat ondersoek is, is die bipolêre model van Heitink, die eduktiewe model van Clinebell, die konvergensiemodel van Louw en die narratiewe model. Daar is gekies om vanuit ‘n eklektiese benadering, waarin al bogenoemde modelle gebruik word, te werk met die gebruik van meditasie en visualisasie as regterbreinstrategie. Breinfunksies speel ook ‘n rol by meditasie en visualisasie. Daar is gekyk na die werking van onder andere die reptielbrein. Daar is bevind dat meditasie en visualisasie die brein se reaksie van veg- of vlugreaksie kan omkeer in ‘n positiewe reaksie. Daar is ook gesien dat tydens meditasie die brein se golwe in die alfa fase is wat dit baie ontvanklik maak vir suggestie. Dit is waarom meditasie voor visualisasie so belangrik is, want dit berei die brein voor vir suggestie. Daar is gekyk na die ontwikkelingstake van die vroeë volwassene wat voltooi moet word in die fase van sy/haar lewe. Verder is daar gekyk na algemene kenmerke van generasie X. ‘n Moontlike metode is voorgestel waar meditasie en visualisasie gebruik word in die pastorale terapie. Hierdie metode is op vyf kliënte toegepas.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Practical Theology))--University of the Free State, 2008
Keywords: Pastoral psychology; Teenagers; Pastoral counseling; Interpersonal relations; Religious aspects; Meditation; Visualization; Pastoral care; Pastoral therapy; Pastoral models; Visualization; Meditation; Generation X; Early adulthood; Brain functions; Church history of meditation; History of visualization