Johannes Heinrich Schultz facts for kids

Johannes Heinrich Schultz (born June 20, 1884 – died September 19, 1970) was a German psychiatrist and a psychotherapist. He became famous around the world for creating a special system of self-hypnosis called autogenic training.

Early Life and Education

Johannes Schultz studied medicine in different cities like Lausanne, Göttingen, and Breslau. He earned his doctorate degree from Göttingen in 1907. After getting his medical license in 1908, he worked at a clinic in Göttingen until 1911. Later, he worked at other medical places, including a psychiatric clinic in Jena. He became a professor there in 1915.

During the First World War, he was in charge of a special hospital in Belgium. In 1919, he became a professor of Psychiatry at Jena. In 1920, he became the main doctor and science leader at a sanatorium in Dresden. By 1924, he started his own practice as a psychiatrist in Berlin.

Work in Psychotherapy

Schultz was very involved in the field of psychotherapy. From 1925 to 1926, he helped create the first big meeting for doctors interested in psychotherapy. He also became a board member of the General Medical Society for Psychotherapy, which started in 1927. He helped with the society's newsletter and later edited a journal about psychotherapy.

In 1933, he joined the board of the German Medical Society for Psychotherapy. From 1936, he also worked at the German Institute for Psychological Research and Psychotherapy, where he was a director.

During the Nazi Era

In 1935, Johannes Schultz became a deputy director at the Göring Institute in Berlin. This institute was the main office for the German Institute for Psychological Research and Psychotherapy.

During this time, the institute he worked at was involved in very harmful programs that targeted people with disabilities. Schultz also conducted studies on human behavior and conditions that were considered controversial and had serious ethical problems. He believed that some conditions could be "cured" through intense psychotherapy. People who were part of these studies often faced difficult situations.

After the war, the Göring Institute was closed down. Schultz continued his work, but some of his past research methods remained controversial. In 1952, he published a study where he admitted that some of his experiments were not humane. However, he still supported the results of his findings.

In 1956, he became the editor of a journal called Psychotherapie. In 1959, he started the German Society for Medical Hypnosis.

Autogenic Training

Schultz's most famous achievement is autogenic training. He created this method based on his research into hypnosis and his own experiences. He first introduced it in 1926, and it got its current name in 1928.

Autogenic training involves six simple mental exercises. These exercises help people focus on specific body feelings to improve their health. It's not about imagining things actively. Instead, it's a calm process where you give quiet instructions to different parts of your body and simply notice how your body feels. It's a passive way to relax and improve your well-being.

Today, autogenic training is used all over the world. For example, NASA teaches it to astronauts to help them deal with the stress of space travel. In countries like Australia, the UK, Italy, and Spain, it helps people with stress, anxiety, sleep problems, and focus. In Japan and Germany, doctors use it to help treat various health issues. The Autogenic Training Institute of Australia also teaches it for workplace health and safety, especially in industries like mining and oil.

Images for kids

• 

  First edition of "Das Autogene Training (konzentrative Selbstentspannung)" (1932)

• 

  First edition of "Neurose Lebensnot ärztliche Pflicht" (1936)

• 

  Die Seelische Gesunderhaltung, 1941

See also

In Spanish: Johannes Heinrich Schultz para niños