Bobby McFerrin is famous for his hit song, “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. In this video, he demonstrates how the crowd intuitively synchronizes to the pentatonic scale. Ferrin says, “What’s interesting to me about that, is, regardless of where I am, anywhere, every audience gets that.”
How can we use this act to explain the Gestalt therapy theory?
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- Closing the Gestalt. The brain of most humans find completion in the pentatonic scale. This is a pattern of notes one would hear when one plays only the black keys on the piano. To the human brain, this note-pattern closes itself in a harmonious way (i.e. it just sound right). This is how McFerrin is able to rely on the crowd’s intuition to “play” the music.
- Field Theory. The crowd, the men on stage and the atmosphere make up the field. McFerrin harnesses and motivates to make a unified sound. If, for example, something in the middle of the performance distracts the crowd (for example, an explosion, or if the electricity breaks down) the focus of the crowd would be dissipated, and there would be, instead of a unified presence, chaos.
- Phenomenology. McFerrin does not push the crowd to play the music like he would push piano keys. This would not be possible. In order to get so many people to sing in the same tune, he has to judge when the right moment is to act (to jump, or to say something or to make a mimic). This sensing of the crowd is the sensing of the phenomenology of the field.
- Contact. When we can “tune in” to the other, we make contact. Each member in the crowd sings with his own voice and tone. Each is different, but together they are in contact.
McFerrin says, it works all the time. Yes. The theory of Gestalt Therapy is more than humanistic. It is a theory of phenomenon and contact. The other men on stage says that there is some neuro-biology involved. Yes. There is. This is how the theory of Gestalt therapy functions, through contact leading to physiological change.
On Gestalt Therapy
The therapeutic aspect of Gestalt therapy happens when the client is able to come into contact with his/her disowned aspects of his/her personality (“the dark side”, some would say). Often these are realities that are too painful or shameful to acknowledge, but are at the same time ever-present in the the life of the person. The effort (usually unconscious) of putting away these disowned parts of the self, utilizes a lot of energy, and is the source of inner conflicts, stress, depression and in severe cases, psychosis.
The Gestalt therapy work is to provide the patient a safe environment to play out, and experience these disowned parts of the self. In the process, the patient learns about these parts, and is given the ability to integrate these parts in their present lives. The net result is a better, less stressful quality of life and also better relationship with others.