Sinematerapi: Terapötik Yolculukta Sinemanın Rolü
Hatice Beyza DemirSinematerapi, temelini Bibliyoterapiden alan ve bireyin terapi sürecine destek olmayı hedefleyen bir yardımcı terapi biçimi olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Ancak film izleme deneyimi diğer öykü anlatım biçimlerinden farklı bir deneyim boyutuna sahip olmasıyla ayrışır. Filmler, seyir eylemi gerçekleştiren kişiye karşı duyusal ve duygusal uyaranlarla güçlü bir etki oluşturabilir. İzleyiciye; hayal gücü, dikkat, işitme ve görme gibi çeşitli faktörleri içeren üç boyutlu bir deneyim sunar. İzleyici bu deneyimi kendi öznel deneyimleriyle birleştirerek izlediği herhangi bir şeyde zihninin somutlaştırılmış bir simülasyonuna tanıklık edebilir. Hugo Münsterberg’e göre bir filmi diğer görsel hikâye anlatıları ile kıyaslamak zordur, çünkü tiyatrodaki gibi normal hayat akışında ilerlemez, fotoğraftaki gibi bir andan ibaret değildir. Zihnimizdeki sıçramalar, zaman kavramının değişkenliği, bulanık anılar, rüyalar gibi sınırsız ve akışı bozuk bir somutlaştırma içerir. Bu yönüyle zihnimize en yakın formu bize sunar. Bu zihinsel tanıklık deneyimi, telkine hazır izleyici için güçlü bir etki faktörü oluşturur. Bu etkiyle beraber izleyici duygusal bir özdeşleşme veya bastırılmış duyguların açığa çıktığı bir katarsis deneyimi yaşayabilir. Sinematerapide hedeflenen, bu deneyimi terapiye entegre ederek bireyin bilinç dışına itilmiş duygularının bilinç düzeyine çıkmasını sağlamak ve bu şekilde iyileşme sürecini kolaylaşmasını sağlamaktır. Ayrıca iyileşme sürecindeki bireyler, başka birinin hikâyesine tanıklık ederek veya kaybolmuşluk hissine karşı rehberlik edici ve iyimser bir bakış açısını benimseyerek yalnızlık duygularını hafifletebilirler. Filmlerin olumlu etkileri üzerine devam eden bilimsel araştırmalar hız kazanmış olsa da, son yıllarda Türkiye’de sinematerapiye odaklanan disiplinlerarası çalışmaların henüz yaygın olmadığı gözlemlenmektedir. Bu çalışma, Bilişsel Film Teorisi ışığında, psikoloji literatürünü arşiv taraması ve disiplinlerarası bir bakış açısıyla birleştirerek, filmlerin iyileşme sürecindeki rolünü ve bu sürece katkılarını anlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Özellikle, bu nedenleri ‘seyir deneyimi’ bağlamında inceleyecek ve bu deneyimi güçlendiren duyusal ve duygusal fenomenleri ele alacaktır. Sinematerapinin yaygın kullanımı, güncel denemeleri incelenecek ve Türkiye ile kültürel açıdan benzerliklere sahip olan Güney Kore’nin medya çalışmaları bu bağlamda bir örnek olarak ele alınacaktır. Güney Kore’nin çağdaş sosyal sorunlarını ele alan dizileri, sosyal psikoloji ve medya ilişkileri açısından önemli bir alanı temsil etmektedir. Bu çalışma, sinematerapinin terapötik değerini vurgulamanın yanı sıra, bu alandaki araştırmalara taze bir bakış açısı sunma yolunda önemli bir adım olarak değerlendirilebilir.
Cinematherapy: Cinema’s Role in the Therapeutic Journey
Hatice Beyza DemirCinematherapy, derived from Bibliotherapy, stands out as an auxiliary therapeutic form aimed at supporting the individual’s therapeutic process. However, the filmwatching experience provides a different dimension of experience compared with other forms of storytelling. Films create a strong impact on the viewer through sensory and emotional stimuli. They offer a three-dimensional experience involving various factors such as imagination, attention, hearing, and vision. Viewers witness a tangible simulation of their mind in anything they watch by combining this experience with their subjective experiences. This witnessing experience forms a powerful influence factor for a suggestible audience. Within this impact, the viewer can experience emotional identification or a catharsis in which suppressed emotions are revealed. Cinematherapy integrates this experience into therapy, allowing the individual’s unconscious emotions to surface to a conscious level, thus facilitating the healing process. Additionally, individuals in the healing process can alleviate feelings of loneliness by witnessing someone else’s story or adopting a guiding and optimistic perspective against the feeling of being lost. Despite ongoing scientific research on the positive effects of films, it is observed that interdisciplinary studies focussing on cinematherapy in Turkey have not yet become widespread. This study aims to understand the role of films in the healing process and their contributions by combining Cognitive Film Theory and psychology literature with an archival review and an interdisciplinary perspective. Specifically, it examines these reasons in the context of the viewing experience and addresses the sensory and emotional phenomena that enhance this experience. The widespread use of cinematherapy and current trials will be examined, and South Korea’s media studies, which share cultural similarities with Turkey, will be considered as an example in this context. South Korea’s dramas that address contemporary social issues represent an important area in terms of social psychology and media relations. This study can be considered an important step towards emphasising the therapeutic value of cinematherapy and providing a fresh perspective on research in this field.
When used as an effective tool in therapeutic processes, films can contribute to individuals’ emotional and mental healing journeys. Various theories stemming from the fields of cinema and psychology suggest that films have several positive effects on an individual’s therapeutic journey. This article predominantly focuses on the effects of cinema on therapeutic processes within the context of Cognitive Film Theory and Learning Theory. According to Münsterberg, cinema transcends the forms of the external world and aligns with the shapes of the inner world while telling human stories, constructing a new reality by stimulating the viewer’s attention, memory, imagination, and emotions. In this context, the film-watching experience enhances the dimensions and depth of the cinematic experience by directing the viewer’s attention to the screen while simultaneously stimulating memory and emotions. The music and visual elements used in the films amplify the viewer’s emotional responses and support the process of identifying with the characters. The film-watching experience can transform from an external observation to an internal reflection. Additionally, individuals in the healing process can experience a guiding experience against the feeling of being lost by witnessing the stories of others or by being presented with a positive perspective through the film-watching experience. These experiences can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and restore hope in emotional healing processes. Films also allow viewers to experience emotional journeys by abstracting them from time and space, triggering their imagination, which is not independent of past experiences (Tekin, 2011, s. 2-5). In this way, films enable individuals to bring repressed emotions in the subconscious to the surface, allowing them to develop emotional expression and coping skills. Exploration and expression of these emotions are crucial for the positive progression of therapy. Prescribed film-watching assignments and accompanying therapy sessions conducted with professional guidance encourage the externalisation of complex emotional experiences existing in individuals’ inner worlds and help to discover coping mechanisms with emotional experiences. According to Dr. Wolz, films can serve as a promising method for individuals in coping with difficulties. The article emphasises the necessity of considering psychological and aesthetic dimensions together to understand the relationship between the viewer and reality in the film-watching experience. The effects and application areas of the films in therapeutic processes are also examined in detail. Although many therapists use films informally with clients, films are not yet widely used as a developed therapeutic technique. The lack of studies on cinematherapy and the fact that many therapists do not fully understand how to use films in therapy could be the sources of this. Therefore, cinematherapy needs a handbook, supported by empirical data, with studies that have been applied and proven to yield positive results. This article focuses on three different usage forms mentioned by Dr. Wolz, who has signed recent studies on cinematherapy: modelling, internal exploration, and emotional relaxation. The advantages and effects of cinematherapy compared with older therapeutic methods like bibliotherapy are also discussed. Various studies have shown that films have positive effects on mental health and awareness levels. Studies in Turkey reveal that including cinema films in therapeutic processes yields positive results. These findings strengthen the empirical foundations of cinematherapy and provide a significant resource for the use of films as part of the healing process. Studies conducted at Istanbul Erenköy Mental and Nervous Diseases Training and Research Hospital in Turkey also show that including cinema films in therapeutic processes yields positive results. In addition, an example is the MediCinema association, which supports cinematherapy practises by providing cinema rooms to hospitals. Such studies show that cinema can be used as a supportive tool in therapeutic processes and has positive effects on different disease groups. For instance, a study on gynaecological cancer patients revealed that cinema helps improve patients’ psychological health. Similarly, studies on alcohol addicts and older adults have shown that cinema is an effective tool in therapeutic processes. These findings strengthen the empirical foundations of cinematherapy and provide a significant resource for the use of films as part of the healing process. In South Korea, the examination of approaches to social issues through the media is also important. In particular, the potential of addressing issues like workplace and school bullying in series and films to help victims heal, hold onto life, and increase societal awareness of these issues is discussed. Additionally, productions in the “healing” category raise awareness of healthy relationships and lifestyles by focussing on mental health topics. The accessibility and ease of use of films as visual materials reveal the potential of cinematherapy to play an important role in long-term mental healing processes. The use of films is highlighted as a more attractive option because it reduces the necessity for clients to read long written materials. Cinematherapy can transform the commonly practised activity of watching films into a positive therapeutic tool. Films are emphasised to have a stronger impact than other art forms. In conclusion, cinematherapy is an important tool that can contribute to an individual’s emotional healing process. This study is a significant step towards understanding the therapeutic value and application areas of cinematherapy.
