Who Was Bert Hellinger and What Was His School of Psychology?

And today, let’s explore the realms of phrenology and Bert Hellinger. These ideas haven’t been widely accepted by the scientific community, but they’re fascinating concepts that are definitely worth a look.

On another note, I went to the movies alone yesterday. I was reminiscing about the old days when it was my go-to way to unwind amidst all the hustle.

I chose a movie at random and ended up watching “Uwikłanie.” This film is based on Miłoszewski’s prose; he is one of our country’s top contemporary writers.

I don’t usually watch Polish films, and detective stories are even less my thing. I feared disappointment, but surprisingly, the film had some blockbuster elements and touched on psychology through certain themes.

For instance, the film depicted Hellinger’s systemic therapy in a skewed way. And for that reason alone, I’d recommend this film to anyone unfamiliar with this concept.

The therapy itself has always been controversial. According to Gyimesi (2023), *Perspectives on Psychological Science*, Hellinger’s method is more accurately understood as being rooted in the Western esoteric tradition. This is more so than in evidence-based psychotherapy.

Who Was Bert Hellinger, and How Did His Method Work?

Hellinger, a German monk, dabbled in psychology but never officially completed his studies.

So he lacked formal qualifications for therapy, particularly family therapy. Still, that didn’t stop him from creating his own ideology and therapeutic approach.

He introduced the concept of the “knowing field.” It let a stranger, playing the role of a family member, absorb the experiences and emotions of that person without any prior knowledge.

The aim of such therapy is to uncover hidden family dynamics and restore balance among relatives. This includes not just current family members but also the deceased or excluded ones, like former partners, aborted children, or those disinherited. According to Konkoly Thege et al. (2021), a systematic review found this type of therapy shows a moderate positive effect on general psychopathology across studies.

However, the overall quality of the evidence remains low. For a detailed article on this therapy, you can check out THIS LINK. 

The film portrays this concept somewhat grotesquely, prompting me to read the article. I think many viewers might find it just as intriguing, so I recommend the movie. Of two questionable options, it’s certainly better for the National Film Institute to produce something like this than dull textbooks.

What Is Phrenology?

Now, onto phrenology. This is another debatable area within psychology. It examines how emotions and illnesses might shape and influence the body’s form and function.

According to van Wyhe (2002), historical analysis traces phrenology’s origins to Franz Joseph Gall’s early nineteenth-century claim. Gall claimed that skull shape could reveal mental faculties, a premise already anatomically discredited by the 1840s.

According to Parker Jones, Alfaro-Almagro and Jbabdi (2018), *Cortex*, researchers conducted a large modern neuroimaging study. This study found no significant correlation between scalp curvature and any of the 23 mental faculties phrenology claims to detect.

Personally, I remain skeptical about the “knowing field” and similar ideas. But I do recognize the role hormones play in affecting both emotions and the body at the same time.

I know that Onet might not be the most reliable source. But a recent interesting test on this topic has appeared on the platform. As I reflect on these questions, I sense that many statements here ring true.

From the start, I believed that certain character traits could be reasonably predicted based on appearance. Yet I hadn’t encountered a phrenology guidebook until now. And here it is: available on Onet.

I recommend trying this test. I scored 9 out of 14 – who can beat that?