What substance is alive and dead in fairy tales. A tale about living and dead water, and about the mysteries of subtle matters of primordial liquid

Maksishin Sergey

Download:

Preview:

City scientific and practical marathon

“A step into science. Junior"

Section “Literary Studies”

Water “living” and “dead”

in Russian folk tales.

Research

Completed

student

2 “B” class MOU “Secondary School No. 226”

Zarechny

Maksishin Sergei.

Scientific adviser:

primary teacher

classes of municipal educational institution "Secondary school No. 226"

Malkova Elena Alexandrovna

Zarechny

2011

INTRODUCTION

Since ancient times, people have guessed that the most common substance on Earth, water, plays an outstanding role in the origin and maintenance of life on the planet. And that this is not such a simple substance as it seems at first glance. There is probably no people on Earth who do not have myths and fairy tales related to the important role of water in human life. However, perhaps only in Russian folklore could water give life and bring death.

From early childhood, children love to listen and read Russian folk tales. Very often they mention “living” and “dead” water. But not everyone can explain its amazing properties. I decided to explore in which Russian folk tales “living” and “dead” water is found, and how its magical power is manifested.

Goal of the work:

Research objectives:

Conduct a survey;

Hypothesis:

Research methods:questionnaire (APPENDIX 1), literature study, comparison and analysis of the collected material.

Object of study:Russian folk tales.

CHAPTER 1.

“The fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it...”

“A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it...” - says an old instructive proverb, which can be recognized as true if we recall Russian folklore, which divides water into “living” and “dead” and ascribes opposite properties to these two liquids.

A fairy tale in Rus' has always been a set of important everyday information; positive characters were endowed with good qualities necessary for life, while negative ones openly absorbed negative ones. Therefore, the division of water into “living” and “dead” in folk legends could not arise out of nowhere. This means that many centuries ago people discovered unique properties that allowed them to either “give life” or “kill.”

Also, fairy tales vividly reflected ancient folk ideas about the connections of natural forces with human health and life. The various causes of illness and methods of healing that appear in fairy tales are united by a magical, supernatural nature. The disease is perceived as an invasion of evil forces into the human body using magical means. The spells and ritual actions brought to us by fairy tales from the depths of centuries are evidence of the first steps of healing magic.

Living water, also strong or heroic, in folk tales of all Indo-European peoples is a symbol of spring rain, which resurrects the earth from its winter dead sleep. It returns life to the dead and sight to the blind and, at the same time, constitutes the drink of those heroes who, according to the remark of A.N. Afanasyev, take the place of the thunder god in the fairy-tale epic. The difference between dead and living water appears only in Slavic fairy tales and is not repeated anywhere else. Dead water is sometimes called healing: it heals wounds, heals the dissected parts of a dead body, but does not yet resurrect it; Only sprinkling with living water brings life back to him. According to A.N. Afanasyev, dead water is the first spring rain, driving away ice and snow from the fields and, as it were, pulling together the dissected members of mother earth, and the rains that follow give it greenery and flowers. Living water is located in the distant kingdom, between two pushing mountains that open up only for a minute; she is protected by a snake or crows with iron noses. According to fairy tales, living and dead water is brought by the personified forces of summer thunderstorms - whirlwind, thunder, hail and prophetic birds, in the image of which fantasy embodied the same phenomena: raven, falcon, eagle and dove. Whoever drinks living or heroic water immediately gains great strength. Connected with the belief about living water is a Russian folk custom, according to which, when the first thunder strikes, everyone rushes to wash themselves with water, which gives beauty, health and happiness.

CHAPTER 2.

“Miracles, and that’s all!”

1. Using a questionnaire, I interviewed 23 classmates.When asked if you know which Russian folk tales mention “living” and “dead” water, the guys named the following tales:

- “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” - 11 students (47%);

- “Marya Morevna” - 3 students (13%);

- “The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water” - 1 student (4%).

No other answers were given.

The answer to the question “What do you think is the magic of this water?” was close to true in only two people (2%).

After analyzing the questionnaires (APPENDIX 1), I saw that my classmates know few fairy tales about water and have no idea what its magical power is.

2. In the city and school libraries, I found the Russian folk tales I needed for research, which talk about “living” and “dead” water:

1. "The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water"
2. "Ivan and the miracle - Yudo"
3. "Ivan is a peasant's son"
4. "Marya Morevna"
5. "Tsarevich Ivan - Peas"
6. "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf"
7. "The Copper, Silver and Golden Kingdom."

3. Having familiarized myself with the collected material (APPENDIX 3), I found out that in Russian folk tales, evil, negative heroes often unjustly, by cunning, kill good, positive heroes. To correct this injustice, people came up with “living” and “dead” water. Not everyone knew where this water was, only sorcerers, wise elders, a gray wolf, a raven, an eagle or a falcon... It was difficult to get it, you had to travel far to get it. But the water was worth it. If you pour “dead” water on the bloody wounds, the wounds stop bleeding. Only after this it was necessary to water with “living” water, then the “dead” heroes would come to life. Without “dead” water, due to unhealed wounds, the hero could die again. We can see this in the example of specific fairy tales. So, in a Russian fairy tale

From the fairy tale “Marya Morevna”

“Oh, how I slept for a long time!”

Ivan the prince lies dead, crows are already flying over him. Out of nowhere, a gray wolf came running and grabbed a raven with a crow:

Oh, I slept soundly!

Miracles, and that’s all!

CONCLUSION

As a result of the work done, I came to the conclusion, that water in fairy tales works wonders. This confirms the previously put forward hypothesis:

LITERATURE

Anikin V.P. Russian folktale. – M.: “Fiction”, 1984.

Kruglov Yu.G. Russian folk tales: Book. for self reading. 4-6 grades - M.:

Enlightenment, 1983.

Propp V.Ya. Historical roots of fairy tales

Submitted by Ola on Sun, 09/08/2009 - 23:03 Books and archives myth mythology fairy tale

Collection of fairy tales "Favorite fairy tales." - JSC "Slavic House of Books",

Moscow 2002.

Collection of fairy tales "Russian folk tales". – ZAO Firma STD, 1999.

Dictionary of Slavic Mythology (House of Svarog) http://www.pagan.ru

Copyright © 2006-2010, Golden Formula.

E-mail: admin(dog)goldformula.ru

Encyclopedia of signs, symbols, emblems. M.-SPb., 2005, p.65-68

Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron. SPB., 1892. t.12, p.748-749

Encyclopedic dictionary of a young literary critic. – M.: “Pedagogy”, 1988.

ANNEX 1

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear friend! I ask you to take part in the survey and answer the following questions:

1. Do you know in which Russian folk tales there is a mention of “living” and “dead” water? Write their name.

2. What do you think is the magic of this water?

APPENDIX 2

Survey results

23 people took part in the survey.

1. The fairy tales were named:

1. “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” - 11 students (47%);
2. “Marya Morevna” - 3 students (13%);
3. “The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water” - 1 student (4%).

No other answers were given.

2. Only 2 students (8%) are close to the correct answer.

APPENDIX 3

Fairy tales that mention “living” and “dead water”.

1. "The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water."
2. "Ivan and the miracle - Yudo"
3. "Ivan is a peasant's son"
4. "Marya Morevna"
5. "Tsarevich Ivan - Peas"
6. "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf"
7. "The Copper, Silver and Golden Kingdom"

Theses

Water “living” and “dead”

in Russian folk tales.

Research

Justification of the relevance of the topic:

All children from early childhood love to listen and read Russian folk tales. Very often they mention “living” and “dead” water.

I asked my classmates and parents:

In which Russian folk tales is there a mention of water?

What is the magic of water?

It turned out that my friends know a lot of fairy tales, but they found it difficult to name one about water. I decided to help them.

Goal of the work:

Find out in which Russian folk tales there is a mention of water, and what its magic is.

To achieve this goal, I set for myself tasks :

Conduct a survey;

Go to the library and find the necessary literature;

Contact parents for help collecting information online;

It is good to think and comprehend the collected material.

In the course of reviewing the information received, it was put forward hypothesis:

“Living and dead water in Russian fairy tales have magical properties.”

The result The work involved the selection of material and slide presentation.

After reviewing the collected material, I found out that in Russian folk tales, evil, negative heroes often kill good, positive heroes unjustly, through cunning. To correct this injustice, people came up with “living” and “dead” water. Not everyone knew where this water was, only sorcerers, wise elders, a gray wolf, a raven, an eagle or a falcon... It was difficult to get it, you had to travel far to get it. But the water was worth it. If you pour “dead” water on the bloody wounds, the wounds stop bleeding. Only after this it was necessary to water with “living” water, then the “dead” heroes would come to life. Without the “dead” water, the hero could have died again due to unhealed wounds.

Excerpts from fairy tales where “living” and “dead” water are mentioned.

In a Russian fairy tale“About rejuvenating apples and living water”:

“In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a king, and he had three sons... The king was very outdated and his eyes were poor, but he heard that far away, in the thirtieth kingdom, there was a garden with rejuvenating apples and a well with living water. If you eat this apple for an old man, he will become younger, and if you wash the eyes of a blind man with this water, he will see.” And the sons went to get living water..."

From the fairy tale “Marya Morevna”

... Koschey galloped, caught up with Ivan Tsarevich, chopped him into small pieces and put him in a tar barrel; He took this barrel, fastened it with iron hoops and threw it into the blue sea, and took Marya Morevna home with him.
At that very time, the sons-in-law of Ivan Tsarevich's silver turned black.
“Ah,” they say, “it looks like something bad has happened!”
The eagle rushed to the blue sea, grabbed and pulled the barrel ashore. The falcon flew after living water, and the raven flew after dead water.
All three flew to one place, cut the barrel, took out the pieces of Ivan Tsarevich, washed them and put them together as needed.
The raven splashed dead water - the body grew together and united. The falcon splashed with living water - Tsarevich Ivan shuddered, stood up and said:
“Oh, how I slept for a long time!”

Story from a fairy tale "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf".

Ivan Tsarevich lies dead, crows are already flying over him. Out of nowhere, a gray wolf came running and grabbed a raven with a crow:

You fly, raven, for living and dead water. Bring me some living and dead water, then I will release the crow.

The raven, having nothing to do, flew away, and the wolf held his crow. Whether the raven flew for a long time or for a short time, he brought living and dead water. The gray wolf sprinkled dead water on the wounds of Ivan the Tsarevich, the wounds healed; sprinkled him with living water - Tsarevich Ivan came to life.

Oh, I slept soundly!

As a result of the work done, I came to conclusion, that water in fairy tales works wonders. This confirms the previously stated hypothesis: “Living” and “dead” water in Russian fairy tales have magical properties and help to win the victory of good over evil.”

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived...
- Grandfather, I remember the beginning, you tell me right away, why did they pour dead water on the slain hero - he was already dead?!
-Don’t you remember that he was cut down in battle?..
-I remember, that’s why he died.
-And if you immediately sprinkle it with living water when it is cut, what’s the point if its halves come to life for a moment? To immediately die again?! Probably, they need to be connected first, or not?..
-Probably, you need... How to glue it together, right?
-Well, sort of, but then...
-I remember, I remember: then sprinkle with living water and the whole hero will come to life again! Is Living and Dead water only in fairy tales or does it really exist?
- What do you think?
- But someone came up with this fairy tale... So, did they get this water from somewhere?...
- And I think so, grandson, no ideas come from anywhere... And I think that dead water is our human soulfulness, and living water is spirituality, faith in the Living God.
- Sincerity is kindness, or what?...
- Not only kindness, but also its reasonable use: after all, even when gluing, it is necessary not only to pour over all the glue, but, first, to clean the parts being glued from dirt, carefully lubricate them with glue, connect them correctly, press so that they stick together well.. And if everything coat it haphazardly, then nothing will stick, and the dried remains of our dried-up kindness will only be a laughing stock for the chickens!
-Why can’t a hero, glued together with kindness, come to life himself? Has he become whole? Why do you still need to water it with Living Water? You called it spirituality - is it something church-like? Or something from a museum! I saw the program “Spiritual Treasures of the Hermitage” on TV?!
- The word “spirituality” comes from the word “spirit”, and the Spirit - with a capital letter - is the Living God, not painted on church icons or paintings in museums, but the Living God in the living heart of man. Turning in the depths of your heart to Him, to God and the Spirit, opens the source of Living water!
-Like a bottle of juice?
-More like a clamp on an IV tube, through which the revitalizing medicine flows through the tubes directly into the blood of a seriously ill person. And just as medicine enters the blood through a vein, and it’s not easy to get into a vein with a needle! - that’s why only experienced nurses place IVs - so it’s not at all easy to accept the Spirit in our lives. Do you remember how we read in the Children’s Gospel: “The spirit breathes wherever it wants”?
-So, if you don’t sprinkle Living Water after Dead Water, the person will remain whole, but still dead?!
-Rather, sleeping in a deep, painful sleep-lethargy, which from the point of view of the Spirit is the same as death. It’s interesting, but there are quite a few such people on Earth... They think that they live in their worries of eating, sleeping and going to the toilet, but in fact for the Spirit they are still sleeping, like... Do you remember the fairy tale about the princess sleeping in a crystal coffin, whom the witch through bewitched the poisoned apple?..
-But she couldn’t move until the prince kissed her?...
-Yes, this is a prototype of our sleeping soul until Christ awakens it. And the body can move... Remember, the Scripture also says: Let the dead bury their dead... This is just about those sleeping souls that seem to live, but only with bodies, with bodily needs.
-What other needs could there be?
-To benefit not only yourself and your closest ones, but also all people, and therefore God. It is this need that awakens the soul, making it ready to receive the Living Water of the Spirit.
-But this is the same kindness, or you somehow called it in your own way...
- Soulfulness, it is precisely this that, like dead water, unites what is scattered in people, but if after this the united is not dedicated to God, i.e. not sprinkled with Living Water, the hero united by the goodness of his soul, like a beautiful princess, will remain asleep.
-But I’m still wondering: how does soulfulness differ from spirituality?
-The direction of kindness in your soul: either towards yourself and your surroundings, or towards everyone who lacks it. Moreover, in the first “spiritual” case, they save kindness so that it will be enough for themselves and their friends, then in the second “spiritual” case, they do not regret kindness, realizing that its endless source is in God, but they also do not squander it anywhere, understanding it as not theirs , but God's property. So... ask God for blessings for all people and let's go to sleep. Tomorrow there are so many good deeds to be done...
04/22/2009.(5th month of Mishka’s prenatal age)

“You, my wave, are you a wave? You are loud and free; You splash wherever you want, You sharpen sea stones, You drown the shores of the earth, You raise ships. Don’t destroy our soul: Splash us onto the land!” And the wave obeyed: Immediately it carried the barrel lightly to the shore and flowed away quietly. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

Far out in the sea, the water is blue - blue, like the petals of the most beautiful cornflowers, and transparent, transparent, like the purest glass, only it is very deep, so deep that no anchor rope is enough. In the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” by G. H. Andersen, the home of the main character is the sea. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

In another Andersen fairy tale, “The Ugly Duckling,” water also plays a big role in fate for the main character. And he sank onto the water and swam towards a beautiful swan, who, seeing him, also swam to him... The water saved him, because thanks to the reflection in the lake he saw not the Ugly Duckling, but a beautiful swan. It saved his life. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

Here is an example from Lithuanian folklore. In the fairy tale “The Spruce Queen of Snakes,” the main character marries a snake and goes down to his home – an underwater castle. Only here was she truly happy. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

“Stay no longer than nine days, and return on the tenth! Come ashore with your children unaccompanied and call out to me: If you are alive, my faithful husband, The waves will splash with white foam, If you died with red foam...” ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

And from the fairy tale by Pyotr Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse” we learn that water can rejuvenate and make the hero Ivan handsome. The horse waved its tail, dipped its muzzle into those cauldrons, splashed twice at Ivan, and whistled loudly. Ivan looked at the horse And immediately dived into the cauldron, Here into another, there into a third too, And he became so handsome, What can’t be said in a fairy tale, Not written with a pen! So he dressed up in a dress, bowed to the Tsar Maiden, looked around, cheering up, with an important air, like a prince. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

In the fairy tale “Tsarevich Ivan and the Gray Wolf,” water helps resurrect the main character. The gray wolf sprinkled dead water on the wounds of Tsarevich Ivan, the wounds healed; sprinkled him with living water - Ivan Tsarevich came to life. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

From “The Tale of Magic Water” we learn that water can bring peace to people. “And from then on they stopped quarreling and began to live as in their younger years. And all because as soon as the old man starts screaming, the old woman is ready for the magic water. What strength she has! ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

And in conclusion, we can say that the theme of water in folk tales and original fairy tales occupies a huge place. She is a living being who helps the positive heroes and, accordingly, punishes the negative heroes. ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

Information sources. an/ an/ ©Elena Kiseleva, Visagino Geriosios vilties secondary school

Over the years, my life has become brighter, louder, sharper, tastier, more interesting...

Who came up with the idea that the happiest time is childhood and adolescence?

In my opinion, childhood is a time for collecting psychotraumas. What about ugly youth? You boil like fish in a frying pan, the oil splashes and burns, there is smoke and fumes all around. I want everything at once: love, warmth, understanding, to realize my purpose, to understand the meaning of life... And how many grievances and claims! To people in general and to relatives in particular, to one’s own appearance, circumstances, the state, and especially to the Lord God - for not consulting with me when he created this world. And inside there is a constant anxious expectation, permeated with a thin, sharp chill of fear - and if the happiness that I imagined for myself does not come true. Why then EVERYTHING? None of what I dreamed came true. It turned out much larger and more complete than expected. Today, at my not at all young age, I can say that life is good. No. This is not an inscription with black caviar on red. I have a different format and a different dimension. Life worked out. Full-bodied, smart, strong, real.

When I was young, I was fascinated by classical music. I studied singing and dreamed of becoming an opera singer. Although I agreed to a good academic choir. Just to sing real music. The process of singing itself brought inexplicable pleasure. When a voice sounds and obeys you, it is indescribable. It’s as if you are touching space, floating in it.

I remember one October. That fall I sang wonderfully. It gets better with every lesson. I was returning after class to the alleys of old Moscow and was absolutely happy. I didn’t dream of future victories or the stage. It was enough for me that today I took such a B flat...

That autumn was very beautiful: quiet, dry, sunny. Ancient Moscow mansions, colorful leaves and my B flat, still resounding within me - everything merged into a quiet, cozy holiday.

And then it was all over. A short stupid marriage, pregnancy, difficult childbirth and paresis of the vocal cords. For a few more years I will try to restore my voice, but knots will appear on the cords and singing will end for me. For a long time I had painfully beautiful dreams. In them I sang Butterfly’s aria: “On a clear day, the desired one, our grief will pass too...” and woke up in tears.

I was desperate. I only wanted to sing and didn’t want anything else! My purpose, as I believed then, was taken away from me. For what? For a long time I wanted to die.

God works in mysterious ways. Now I'm doing what I'm good at and what I love.

I am a psychotherapist. Representatives of almost all segments of the population pass through my hands, head and soul. Regardless of age, gender, nationality, income, education.

I am able to work with children, adolescents and adults. I know how to work with healthy people and with severely mentally ill people.

I'm not rich or famous. But I have more - a sense of meaningfulness of my stay on this Earth.

Here are the outlines of a future book. Very subjective reflections about people, about life, about death, about love. With philosophical digressions and malicious comments.

I am Sherlock Holmes, gardener, surgeon and spy

At the clinical psychotherapy center where I came to work, there was still the Old Guard. The first year I sat at the reception or session (if they were allowed) and studied. Oh, what smart, subtle and beautiful work it was! An exquisite chess game, where each move is designed to take several steps forward... Improvisation is akin to jazz, where behind every “right note” there is a huge amount of work: knowledge, skills, experience accumulated over the years... Although, probably, it was not only a matter of experience. These were people of the highest level of education and culture. And they knew not only medicine, but also literature, classical music, painting, and philosophy. This allowed them, when working with the patient, to bring him to a deeper level of perception of life and vision of the world. I learned from the Old Guard to record the slightest details of facial expressions and gestures, to hear the intonations of the voice, the structure of phrases, and slips of the tongue. I learned to put together a complete picture from fragmentary information. Very similar to the work of famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot!

I would like to describe one of the Masters here. Although each of them is worthy of a book.

Vera Lazarevna Shenderova. The first thing that caught your eye was the elegance. In everything: clothes, behavior, work. Smart. Thin. Complex. Simple. Natural. Nicknames for beloved patients: “Mitya Karamazov”; "Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony"; "Roosevelt"; “Eliza Dolittle”... The nicknames were not derogatory - they captured the essence of the character.

And how different she knew how to be! With one - a tough dictator, with another - an aloof philosopher, with a third - soft, warm... At the same time, she did not try to be pleasant. She didn’t act out her own ambitions on her patients. She didn't make money from patients. I never portrayed an all-powerful guru. I could sincerely say: “I don’t know how to help you.” She could refuse the patient: “Unpleasant guy. He's fooling himself and me. I’ll send him to N.N.” I wondered: how could a patient be unpleasant? Is this professional? She smiled: “Professional means honest, Zhenechka.” There was something in her relationships with patients, with colleagues, with the world that for a long time I could not find a definition for. Now I know what it's called. Respect. Self-respect. To life. To the thoughts, feelings, values ​​of another person. Therefore, for her, the person who came to the appointment was not a patient, not a client, not an object, and not even a subject. Human.

At first glance, I was very lucky - I had someone to learn from. On the other hand, a terrible inferiority complex after studying psychology at Moscow State University prompted me to actively search for living, real knowledge. Thanks to the complex! And I also knew that a lot of the knowledge I needed was scattered around the world. But no one will chase me with an offer to teach psychotherapy. It is I who must look for them and chase them.

Today, unfortunately, just like 30 years ago, psychotherapy is not truly taught anywhere. No, there are various wonderful places, quite official, where they teach techniques and skills, but do not give the basics of mastery. But everyone is given a certificate stating that he has the right to engage in psychotherapy. Even if a person is professionally unsuitable due to personal characteristics. My surreal blue dream is to have my own small educational institution where I could teach psychotherapy. I know what the program should be. And I know what and how to teach. No correspondence departments! And select carefully. Because not everyone can be taught to be a psychotherapist. The main selection criterion is a deep, sincere interest in people. And the need, no – an insane thirst for one’s own development! I think I would have burned out quickly. Because in our country quality is not rated.

In addition to mastering the secrets of the craft, I tried to look into the essence of the phenomenon. What is psychotherapy? And who is a psychotherapist? I watched the Masters at work and wrote down my chaotic impressions. Here are some records from those years:

A psychotherapist is a gardener. Cuts off dry branches. Cuttings. Fertilizes. Sometimes a tree needs to be hurt to make it healthier. To bear fruit.

A psychotherapist is like a surgeon in war. He works, and shells are exploding around him: the cowardice and stupidity of the patient’s relatives, the inertia of the patient himself, his irresponsibility, hopes for a miracle.

The psychotherapist is slightly clairvoyant. He must understand more about a person than he tells about himself.

But the psychotherapist, like a good intelligence spy, will not blink an eye or raise an eyebrow. And what he understood will never show.

A psychotherapist, like the Lord God (may this comparison be forgiven), can create a whole world in which life can arise. A world full of new sounds, feelings, sensations, thoughts. The tasks are the same: to create a beautiful creation from something formless... But we must sculpt this life together. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not. Because the therapist is just a Guide. He can show you the place where the treasure is buried and can lead you to it. But you will have to get your treasures yourself. These are the conditions of the game, not invented by us. And how you use this treasure is your business, your choice and your right.

About treasures and monsters

I love Jung's metaphors about fairy tales. It turns out that the distant kingdom is the subconscious. The main character goes there to get the treasure. But no one gives him anything just like that. First he must pass tests and accomplish a feat - defeat the monster. And only then will the hero receive the princess as a reward. Or a ring that makes him omnipotent. Or the elixir of life, etc. According to Jung, this “treasure that is difficult to obtain” is a metaphor for the self-knowledge necessary for the development of personality. Roughly speaking, to find yourself, you need to face your dark side, recognize it and defeat it.

I have my own metaphor about the subconscious: the terrible and beautiful legend of the Loch Ness monster. They say it rises from the depths of the lake and scares locals and tourists. They say that it even ate someone - either a small ship with passengers and a captain, or a cow that came to drink some water.

In general, it’s unpleasant to know that something mysteriously scary, uncontrollable can suddenly rise from the depths of a beautiful lake and attack you. Just like our subconscious - there, in the depths, something lives that we are not aware of...

Working in psychotherapeutic groups, I come across this “something” all the time. Because the psychotherapeutic group reveals and mercilessly highlights everything: hidden ambitions, intoxicating dreams, untapped resources and real opportunities. And sleeping monsters.

We studied together in high school. Even then she said that most of all she wanted to get married and raise children. This was a woman born for a family. What, exactly, is bad about this? Remember, in Tolstoy’s finale of “War and Peace”: “All of Natasha’s impulses began only with the need to have a family, to have a husband... All her mental strength was directed towards serving this husband and family.”

In her youth, my friend had a lot from Natasha Rostova. She was so natural, spontaneous, alive! After school, life scattered us and then brought us together again. She achieved her goal - she got married and gave birth to three children. She was a wonderful mother: attentive, calm, caring. She came to my group, in her words, to better understand her children, give them more, and behave more competently. Good application.

To be honest, I very soon regretted taking it. She did some work. In fact, she did not have an internal need to learn something new - about herself or about her loved ones. Her current life, once invented and planned, completely suited her.

Sometimes it seemed to me that this deep immersion in family and motherhood absorbed her individuality and suppressed the need for development. (Or do maternal functions not imply any of this?) What remains is a healthy, strong, beautiful female, fervently performing the rituals prescribed for the Family: clothing... feeding... cramming in education...

Soon, new knowledge that will go beyond her own ideas about life will begin to irritate and frighten her. It will be safer for her not to know. And she will leave the group.

As an old friend, will I allow myself to talk to her about responsibility? - in front of the people who worked with her, in front of me - after all, I could take another person in her place. She will quite aggressively declare that she is responsible in this world only for her family! But I didn’t believe her because I already had experience. And I knew how much working in a group can reflect the essence of a person.

And when, in a few years, trouble comes to her house, she will behave the same way - she will run away from the situation, just as she ran away from the group.

Her firstborn son is diagnosed with mental illness. Dad will take his son to doctors. Mom seems to be going blind and deaf. She will be calmer this way - not to see, not to hear, not to understand, not to know. The boy turned out to be beyond her ideas of what her child should be like. And then she will erase him from her life. This is how animals leave a non-viable individual without attention and care.

She will direct all her efforts to the younger children - after all, her daughter has ballroom dancing and English, and her son has karate and computer courses. But he will never go to the doctor of his older boy and ask what can and should be done for him to adapt him to life.

Dad and I will call each other about his treatment. Secretly from mom. Because this topic will become taboo in the house. And the boy is an outcast in his own family. He hardly leaves his room. At first he was not told to, but then he got used to it. “The prisoner first dreamed of trees and birds, then they stopped…”

I remember him when he was 4 years old. Friendly, affectionate baby. Using my hands and a table lamp, I showed him a shadow theater on the wall, he laughed and asked for more...

Someday I will write a book about Family. And I will dump on humanity everything that I have encountered in 20 years of practice in psychotherapy. This will be a scary book. About how the invisible Loch Ness monster controls all human actions. And with one light blow of its tail it sweeps away all the beautiful myths about the voice of blood.

Panegyric of psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a school of feelings and self-knowledge, a school of human relationships. It always seemed to me that this “school” is necessary for absolutely everyone, regardless of health, social status, or position in society. People come here to look for themselves, their new, hidden possibilities. Here the laws of life are discovered together. Here you can say everything you feel and think (try this with your relatives - directly and frankly...). At some stage the group becomes a single organism. Not every family can boast of these sensations.

By the middle of the first year we are on the same wavelength, same ideas, “same blood”. We learn to hear and see. Feel. Understand the laws of life. Its depth. Strength. Shine. Drive.

We learn to look within ourselves. Without fear and with interest. But we also look around at the same time. We must learn to read the signs that the world around us gives us, to “decipher” the signals that other people send us. After all, a psychotherapeutic group is one of the few places on earth where you can learn to do this.

In fact, psychotherapy can make you a lot wiser. Perhaps nature wants every creature to be a perfect representative of its kind?

During the first years of work, when I was asked about one of the patients: “He’s healthy, why does he need psychotherapy,” I would fly up to the ceiling. Because in our sanctimonious country, visiting a psychotherapist is perceived as an admission of secret illnesses or obvious weakness - maybe you can’t solve the problem yourself?

Can you heal a tooth yourself? The psyche (in translation soul) will be more complicated than a tooth! Hey, opponents! Do you know everything about yourself? What games do you play with yourself and with the Lord God? What are you doing with your life and the lives of your loved ones? Have you figured it all out? Already?! Because of this all-Russian, village hypocrisy, some of my patients from groups “in the world” (for healthy people) try not to tell their friends and relatives where they go. So, under the Soviet regime, a private venereologist secretly treated cpp picked up on a business trip... It turns out that it’s a shame to develop. It turns out that it’s a shame to become smarter. They do it secretly!

My pain

In fact, I have a very harmful job. I come across gross lies and subtle manipulations, aggression, cowardice, betrayal... But what hurts me most is the irresponsibility of my patients, which I encounter most often.

For many years I never ceased to be amazed: adults, more or less healthy, decent, educated people come to my groups “in the world.” They were not invited here, they were not lured, they were not persuaded. They came on their own. Voluntarily. They know that the program is difficult - everyone was invited to watch the classes and try on the load. They know that we recruit only 16 people (for 13 million Moscow!) and work with them for two years. And if a person leaves the group, no one can be taken in his place. They are all attracted precisely by the fact that this is a delicate, jewelry work of “cutting” the personality. Why do only 8-10 people reach the end? Now, after all these years, I know the answers to many of the “whys.”

People really want changes in their lives... without changing themselves. People really want everything to work out, but without stress, without knowledge and skills, without investing time and effort.

Eh, Jung didn’t know the fairy tale about Emelya, where there are no trials, monsters and victories. The main thing is to be in the right place at the right time. And some Benefactor will notice you and will definitely help you. Therefore, every effort goes into finding this right place. Where, a person is sure, they are waiting for him with open arms and a hot samovar with pies. They are waiting to fulfill all his ridiculous, stupid, sometimes monstrous desires. And not for anything, but just like that. For the fact of birth. Most live their lives in anticipation of miracles and gifts.

There is another reason why people resist our joint work with all their might. He is afraid of. He is afraid to see what is happening to him and around him without illusions. Afraid of becoming smarter, stronger. Then the demand from him is different. Fear of turning a key, drinking an elixir, crossing a certain line. And something will start that can’t be stopped. Fear is on another level, another dimension. Fear of a big river, real water. You live in a small, familiar swamp, everything around is familiar - one hummock, three frogs, two tadpoles. There is no need to swim, just flounder. And large water requires qualitatively different energy costs.

So we have reached the tale of Living and Dead Water. I think, " Living water“is a complex, multidimensional life with all its shades: melancholy and delight, horror and jubilation, hatred and tenderness... To be alive means to feel strongly, to see and understand a lot... It can hurt, which means it’s dangerous! A " Dead water“is a tasteless imitation of life, seasoned with illusions to make it “edible”.

In fact, most prefer imitation: love, family, friendship, work, development...

People think that imitation is simpler and easier to achieve. And that it doesn't hurt. It took a long time before I discovered an amazing truth.

Living Water is not for everyone. Because not everyone wants it! Whatever they don’t want, they just shy away! Because the clever subconscious knows that a person who has tasted the taste of living water will search for this dimension until the end of his days, yearning for deep and strong feelings, open, sincere relationships.

And do you need this?!

What is lucky...

It’s hard to get living water, but sometimes you find it in the most unimaginable places.

Several years ago, my back began to hurt terribly. It turned out there were two large disc herniations. The operation did not guarantee anything. I found a doctor, he gave me a massage. This relieved the pain somewhat, but not for long. My back hurt constantly, even in my sleep. I could no longer bend down and pick up the fallen thing, I could not make my bed. What was approaching for me was worse than death—helplessness. Two years later, a third hernia appeared. And then I once again went to seek salvation. I found a little-known Center that offers treatment... exercises on simulators. With exercises you develop a muscle corset, and it keeps your terrible hernias in check.

I remember how for the first time I looked at the exercise equipment in confusion and cried. It was such a good massage! You're lying there, and someone is doing something to you. And here you have to do it yourself. After the third session the pain became less and after the tenth it went away. No, the hernias did not disappear, but they were securely protected by their own muscles.

I was very lucky with these hernias. I wouldn't go to the gym just like that. Once. Circumstances drove me there. Perhaps trials are sent to us so that we develop – physically or mentally? And I learned to enjoy the exercises. If you exercise well, “muscular joy” comes, as Pavlov called it. It's like Christmas tree lights are running all over your body. Thanks to hernias. The pain gave me another facet of enjoying life – from movement. And once again I was convinced that real results are only possible through enormous, colossal tension. Through pain, blood, sweat.

Epitaph of psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is dying. It was replaced by cute, funny, primitive psychological trainings. With kindergarten-worthy exercises. Wow, what people are being sold on! For example: “How to live without internal conflicts.” What are you about? The absence of internal conflicts is typical of... dementia. That's ideal! In fact, a person develops only thanks to these very internal conflicts.

Another fable: “How to manage emotions.” You can drive a car. Or a tractor. I have been dealing with emotions for 30 years. The emotional sphere is the subtlest, most complex area. And here everything is so simple! Reminds me of the joke: “Uncle Vasya came and fixed the nuclear reactor with the help of an ax and some mother.”

And this eternal cry of psychologists: “You don’t love yourself! Learn to love yourself!” In my opinion, most people lack not so much self-love as respect. Because self-respect doesn’t just happen. You can only earn it. Make money. And it’s most difficult in front of yourself. On the other hand, the epidemic of hack work that is now rampant in the market for psychological services is caused by the consumers themselves. After all, there is no request: “I want to become smarter, more complex, warmer”... They want something else: success. Demand creates supply. You will be offered a bunch of trainings on “how to become successful”, where they will teach you how to make money, legs, brains for suckers, sex, etc.

After such “development games,” a person no longer goes to real psychotherapy. The bar has been lowered. It is focused on imitation. He was taught to pass off Nif-Nif's house made of twigs and leaves as a quality house. Cover flimsy walls with bright posters and not pay attention to the fact that it’s dripping from the ceiling... This is called “ positive attitude towards life" How many times have I come across the fact that a person would be worried, afraid of what is happening to him or in his family. But they explained to him that negative emotions are bad. And he strangles them in the bud.

The other day I was talking with the mother of a young drug addict. Mom went through a bunch of trainings in search of harmony. She controls her emotions, and she has no internal conflicts, and she has learned to love herself. However, I didn’t learn how to build warm, sincere relationships with loved ones. So a girl from the dead cold of her family went to look for her harmony. Found it. And mother, in order not to destroy her Nif-Nifa house, for a long time carefully did not notice that her daughter was coming home stoned. Until she got to Sklif. A special case? Certainly. A typical special case. Dead water is approaching.

Cute psychological trainings, where life is presented as a simple children's construction set! Based on the proposed drawings, you can assemble one of 5 options. And more is not given.

About Kashtanka and Madame Butterfly

Such sad thoughts come to me regularly. And then it’s time for classes. And everything changes miraculously. My patients get ready ahead of time. By the way, I never learned to call people who come for psychotherapy “clients,” as is customary now. Reminds me of a bathhouse. Or a hairdresser. Does “patient” sound derogatory?

This time we read the endings of our melodramas. No, we don’t have a literary circle, it’s all part of psychotherapy. In our melodrama, all the characters are parts of their own personality (subpersonality). You can't come up with a plot in advance. The author plays chess with his characters. Gradually they begin to come to life, speak, villains, heroes are revealed... In general, you can’t tell it briefly, this is a long, complex work - we write the melodrama for two months.

In this group, almost everyone made it through melodramas, broke through to such deep layers of their own soul! I was overwhelmed with gratitude to my patients for their honest, high-quality work and sincerity.

Then there was stage fencing, a fight with fate. We fenced with drive, but a little dirty. We will continue to work. It's time for the theater. In theatrical exercises we learn to improvise - freely, easily, with pleasure. If these sensations are deposited in the psyche, life will be perceived as an interesting journey! In it, every day sounds in its own tonality, has its own unique taste, color, aroma...

Perhaps it is in this complex “bouquet” of sensations that the main charm of life lies?

After class everyone stayed. We lit candles and took out food. We talked about purpose. We started talking about Chekhov's Kashtanka. It seems to end with a happy ending, but for some reason it hurts my soul. And we’re not talking about a dog there. We came to the conclusion that this is a story about a simple and pure soul, which is accustomed to beatings and crusts of bread. But she was created for someone else. For complex, high, subtle circus art. But she preferred to return to the familiar - to beatings and crust of bread...

It was already late. I'm going to a psychiatric hospital in the morning. And everyone gets up early. But there was something so important in this conversation that it was impossible to interrupt it for the sake of sleep.

I looked at the faces in the flickering candles, listened to smart remarks, subtle remarks... At that moment they were neither my clients nor patients. We were all equal demigods. We have lived, matured, grown to this dimension. And such a wonderful feeling of the joyful fullness of existence hovered above us... Then everyone realized that the metro was closing soon.

I was driving through Moscow at night in my old, broken-down car and singing Butterfly’s aria: “And my heart is breaking, it cannot withstand such happiness...”.