I return to Kawai-sensei Sr.’s books, whenever I stumble on a bump in the road of psychology. He repeatedly wrote that he does not see psychology as a science. When he had interviews with experts from other disciplines, he would not even defend psychology. I have found relief in his comments and sense the clarity he gained from clinical experience. Kawai was an intelligent man, but he did not show off his knowledge. His main focus was to understand the human soul and his personality seems nurturing to me. It has been nearly thirteen years since he passed away, but his words continue to provide direction and courage, when my heart is uneasy.
C.G. Jung is such a man too. He was aware that defending his psychology could harm it. While listening to critics, he attempted to objectively dissect his own work. He knew objectively what his work was and did not pretend. Both analysts teach me how powerful psychology is. Then, why don’t we accept psychology for what it is? The name speaks of its true intent, compared with what it has become today. It is a study of soul/sprit/kokoro (“heart,” in Japanese). Yet how much can we really understand of these matters?
If psychology were a person, he would surely have a deeply rooted complex going back to his origins. He was a child who did not easily fit into the scientific world of the 20th century. He was a new kid to academia. He was the latecomer. He was misunderstood, bullied, challenged and threatened too much to stay as he was. Those of us who have not converted to cognitive behaviorism have one foot in a far more distant past. But for that very reason, I hope that students of analysis have the potential to influence society.
Jung was courageous and objective. Dr. Kawai also made a comment about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but in a Buddhistic way:
We have different theoretical preferences, and therapists make arguments, but we are all heading to the top of the mountain. The mountain has different starting points. Our goal is the same, but the path differs.
Kawai Hayao (translated by me)