As early as 2400 years ago, Confucius, a great educator in China, suggested that reading has the functions of "xing" (imagination and association), "observing", "group" (living in groups) and "resentment" (venting anger).
After entering the modern information society, the function of reading has not shrunk, but has been continuously extended and expanded, becoming a good doctor for health care and longevity and a good friend for psychological counseling. Many psychological puzzles and psychogenic diseases can often be eliminated in the bud through reading, such as depression, anxiety and panic. Psychology draws lessons from this effect of reading and creates "reading therapy".
The first to discuss the concept of "book therapy" (also known as "reading therapy") from the perspective of modern science is J? Mr galt. From 65438 to 0848, galt's paper "On Reading, Recreation and Re-Recreation of Psychopaths" read at the annual meeting of American psychiatrists was considered as the first paper on book therapy. The significance of reading therapy includes using selective reading materials to assist internal medicine and psychiatric treatment, and helping to solve problems in the process of individual growth and development by guiding reading.
Reading articles and books with different emotional colors can relieve anxiety, dilute depression, inspire people and alleviate the symptoms of some diseases.
Classical poetry is short and pithy, and easy to recite. Talking about "morning prosperity, bringing home at dawn", the distant and profound artistic conception can calm people's impetuous hearts; Singing "Autumn is sad and lonely since ancient times, I say autumn is not as good as spring", which often makes depressed emotions soar; Shouting "One day, I'm going to ride the wind and waves, and set my cloudy sail straight and bridge the deep, deep sea" can make the frustrated high-spirited; "I hope that people will live a long time. You and I can see that life can be so open-minded ... In the rhythm and artistic conception of poetry, blood begins to heat up, cells begin to be active, and hearts begin to ripple. Unconsciously, our sleep improved, our appetite increased, and the once silent river of mind began to swell with the waves of life. ...
Philosophical essays and lyric sketches, with their concise and ingenious words, extend love, friendship and affection in the author's pen, and interpret the truth of being a man and seeking knowledge between the lines. His unique understanding of life will make people who are confused and helpless feel that life is suddenly enlightened, so as to learn self-reflection, self-motivation and self-enlightenment, enrich the spiritual world and shape a beautiful personality in "moistening things silently". If reading philosophical essays and lyric sketches is a habit, you can always find happiness from reading.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao cured his headache by reading Chen Lin's prose. Gao Lian, a dramatist and health care scientist in Amin Dynasty, clearly pointed out in his monograph "Eight Chapters of Respect for Life": "Proper research can achieve miraculous effects of getting rid of diseases and keeping healthy." Qin Shouou, a modern writer, once said: "I have been sick since I was a child, and I am most afraid of taking medicine and injections. Almost every time, I rely on books such as The Journey to the West's Romance of the Gods, Legend of the Wonder Man in the Jianghu and Sherlock Holmes to get a full rest and restore my health. "
The sea of books is boundless. The content of the book is different, and the effect is of course different. And everyone's confusion in growing up is also very different. Then, how to prescribe the right medicine in the vast sea of books and achieve the reading effect of "preventing diseases"?
You can choose suitable reading materials according to your own needs. If interpersonal tension is caused by bad temper and improper emotional expression, you can read some books that can make people feel calm, such as classic ancient poems, Carnegie's successful series, Caigen Tan and so on. Those who often feel that life is hopeless, life has no goal, and they are slow to move and lack vision should read books on biographies of celebrities and inspirational books, for example, to live high-to make life possible and a battlefield for young people to motivate themselves. For those who are depressed and have a headache all day, and always see the negative side and ignore the positive side, they can read satirical humor series, which can let the soul breathe and touch the world, so as to appreciate the beauty and happiness of life, release the depressed mood and find the touch of life.
Reading has a subtle psychological effect. In the process of reading, people who are mentally confused can get emotional support and recognition intentionally or unintentionally. By experiencing the fear and sadness in the situation set by the author, they can release their inner anxiety and purify their emotions, so as to let things go, lift them up and put them down. The reading process also helps readers to understand through the integration of psychological activities and the content of the works, thus resolving various worries and maintaining a healthy and optimistic attitude. It is a wonderful and rare psychological experience to forget the comfort of traveling in the book and what you are looking for.
(Author: Psychological Counseling Center of Shiyan College, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. E-mail: xjyf030 1@ 126.com)
Editor/Yu Hong Xiao Zhong/Li Yiqian