Talk:Fritz Perls
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I've read most of Perls' books more than once, including his autobiography, Shepard's biogaphy, and other things about Perls and never came across any reference to NLP or Dianetics. Can anyone substantiate these statements for me? Alan Nicoll 15:10, September 12, 2005 (UTC)
At Gestalt.org there's a bibliography that lists Perls' works, and these include an introduction to a book on Dianetics, so, never mind. Alan Nicoll 15:19, September 12, 2005 (UTC)
The idea that Perls favoured Dianetics in any way is absurd - considering his work as a whole. If at all it cannot have been more than a thoughtless side-remark or something of that kind, - that didn't develop into an influence on his work. There's no proof that I would know of.
The introduction you mention is from 1951, that's a short time after the Perls' had arrived in the USA. It's THE ONLY reference to Dianetics.
At the same time there are indications that Hubbard - the other way round - borrowed from Fritz Perls.
see: [1] "GESTALT Hubbard also seems to have borrowed ideas from Fritz Perls' Gestalt Therapy - though I haven't looked into this in any depth yet."
Friedhelm, Germany, 1. Oct. 2005
I removed this sentence from the article: "He drew upon many anti-establishment sources including L Ron Hubbard's Dianetics, which he pacticed, incorporating the concepts of enactment and returning to past trauma in order to clear mental problems." As I mentioned above there is no proof or plausible indication that Fritz Perls was involved with dianetics and scientology. If someone wants to keep up claiming this he or she should add proofs, sources or similar.
I also corrected the title of the 1951-book: it is "Gestalt therapy". I made some smaller corrections and added information. If my English appears clumsy, feel free to improve the style.
Friedhelm, Germany, 27. April 2006
I have made the information about the Perls' fleeing from Nazi-Germany more precise.
Friedhelm, Germany, 28. April 2006
I add some information that I have already put into the wikipedia article on "NLP", where some users also try to create the impression (without presenting evidence) that Fritz Perls supported dianetics:
I guess all this has to be seen in the context of the Perls' emigration to the USA in 1946. During the first years Fritz Perls tried to make as many contacts as possible to get better known. I found two other sources dealing with the question: First the German "Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon.Band XVI (1999)Spalten 752-771 Autor: Marco Frenschkowski" [2]
The author says about Hubbard (my own, rough translation): "Among his (Hubbards') supporters are numerous authors from the field of science fiction – so besides Campbell especially A. E. Vogt, James Bush, Katherine MacLean, William Bourroughs. Even Aldous Huxley and Fritz Perls (the founder of Gestalt therapy) let themselves be audited by H. (as the dianetic procedure is called). All of them distance themselves from Hubbard later, Blish and Bourroughs in the first place become sharp critics (similar Arthur Jean Cox and Lester del Rey, who has never been a supporter of H.)"
("Zu seinen Anhängern gehören zahlreiche Autoren aus dem Umfeld der Science Fiction - so neben Campbell v. a. A. E. van Vogt, James Bush, Katherine MacLean, Williams Burroughs. Selbst Aldous Huxley und Fritz Perls (der Gründer der Gestalttherapie) lassen such von H. auditieren (wie das dianetische Verfahren heißt). Alle diese distanzieren sich später von H., vor allem Blish und Burroughs werden scharfe Kritiker (ähnlich Arthur Jean Cox und Lester del Rey, die nie Anhänger H.s waren).")
Unfortunately I cannot say what the author's sources are.
Jon Atack writes in "A Piece of blue sky" [3]
"Hubbard cast his net wide. Scientology has attracted people from most social and intellectual backgrounds, from laborers to lawyers, from plumbers to university professors. Frederick L. Schuman, professor of political science at Williams College, was an enthusiastic convert, and publicly defended Dianetics in 1950, though he soon changed his tack and distanced himself. There were psychologists working in the original Foundations; in fact, the New York Foundation was started by psychologist Nancy Rodenburg. Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy, defended Hubbard's early work (though insisting that it needed scientific validation), and briefly received Dianetic counselling."
Friedhelm, Germany, 6. May 2006
[edit] Canada and Perls' death
Concerning the former text: "until he had a falling out with the staff and left to start a Gestalt commune in Canada in 1969. Fritz died in 1970 of pancreatic cancer. He was a compulsive smoker all his life."
I have changed this sentence into:
"until he left the USA to start a Gestalt community at Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island, Canada, in 1969. Fritz Perls died almost a year later in March 1970 in Chicago."
1. because " he had a falling out with the staff" is not supported by a source, - at least not known to me (so name the source. please); - Perls main reasons for leaving the USA were first: the deteriorating political situation, and second: his dream of creating a "Gestalt kibbuz" to which the community at Lake Cowichan should be a first step. Also he had become increasingly critical with the development at Esalen, which made him wanting to distance himself from it.
2. The sentence " Fritz died in 1970 of pancreatic cancer" simply is not correct in a strict sense. Fritz Perls had successfully undergone an operation concerning pancreatic cancer, but his condition grew worse again and he died soon after from a heart attack.
3. The sentence " Fritz died in 1970 of pancreatic cancer. He was a compulsive smoker all his life" suggests a cause-effect-relationship between his smoking and his death – that is speculation, or a disparaging remark.
My main source (there are several others in English, including Perls' autobiography "In an Out the Garbage Pail") is: Milan Sreckovic: "Geschichte und Entwicklung der Gestalttherapie" in: Fuhr, R./Sreckovic, M./Gremmler-Fuhr, M., (Eds.): "Handbuch der Gestalttherapie", Göttingen 1999 (Hogrefe), p. 15 – 178.
Friedhelm, Germany, August 5, 2006
[edit] Fritz Perls in Berlin 1893 - 1933
A new book has been published in Germany. For everyone who speaks German I would like to recommend it. It is rich and comprehensive. For example: So far we took it for granted that Perls' first contact with Wilhelm Reich took place in Berlin in 1930. Bocian shows that Perls met Reich already in 1927/28 in Vienna, while he (Perls) was studying at the "Lehrinstitut" of the "Wiener Psychoanalytische Vereinigung". (At the same time working at the "Wiener Nervenklinik" as assistant doctor.) The book:
- Bernd Bocian: Fritz Perls in Berlin. 1893 - 1933. Expressionismus - Psychoanalyse - Judentum, Peter Hammer Verlag, Wuppertal 2007.
Friedhelm, Germany, May 9, 2007
