Prayer, Silence, and Psychotherapy

Abstract

A new interpretation of L.S. Vygotsky's “The Tragedy of Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark” and his little-known publication “Traurnye stroki-Den' 9 ava.” An essential question (object) of these texts is the secret of genuine human overcoming of suffering. This is also the main problem of psychotherapy. Vygotsky's answer has both psychological and religious sgnificance: the experience of a tragedy is mediated by prayer. Vygotsky's idea creates the basis for religiously oriented, “synergetic” psychotherapy where the main process will be spiritual, including prayer.

Notes

English translation © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, from the Russian text © 2007 “Moskovskii psikhoterapevticheskii zhurnal.” F.E. Vasilyuk, “Molitva–Molchanie–Psikhoterapiia,” Moskovskii psikhoterapevticheskii zhurnal, 1996, no. 4, pp. 141–45. The author expresses gratitude to the Russian Human Sciences Foundation for financial support of research on the topic “Problems of Synergistic Psychology.” Grant no. 96-03-04563. The text of this article is based on a presentation at the International Conference on the Cultural-Historical Approach: The Development of Humanistic Sciences and Education, dedicated to the hundredth anniversary of L.S. Vygotsky, Moscow, October 21–25, 1996). Scientific editor: Vyacheslav Tsapkin.Fedor Efimovich Vasilyuk is a Candidate of Psychology, dean of the Department of Psychological Counseling at Moscow Municipal Psychological and Pedagogical University, chairman of the editorial board, founder, and first editor in chief of Moskovskii psikhoterapevticheskii zhurnal.Translated by Steven Shabad. Translation reprinted from Journal of Russian & East European Psychology, vol. 52, no. 1. doi: 10.1080/10610405.2015.1064723