Autogenic training is a relaxation technique first published by the German and Nazi psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz in 1932. The technique involves repetitions of a set of visualisations accompanied by vocal suggestions that induce a state of relaxation and is based on passive concentration of bodily perceptions like heaviness and warmth of limbs, which are facilitated by self-suggestions. Autogenic training is used to alleviate many stress-induced psychosomatic disorders.

History

Autogenic training (AT) was first presented by German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz in 1926 to the Medical Society in Berlin. Disenchanted with psychoanalysis in the 1920s, Schultz began exploring new therapeutic methods. His search was heavily influenced by his experience with German neurologist Oscar Vogt, with whom he researched sleep and hypnosis. Collecting data about hypnosis in his research with Vogt, Schultz found that the hypnotized often felt a feeling of heaviness in the extremities, as well as a feeling of pleasant warmth. Interested by this relationship, Schultz investigated whether imagining such heaviness and warmth in the limbs could lead to self-hypnosis. Under his guidance, Schultz's patients were able to go into a hypnotic state for a self-determined period of time by simply imagining a state of heaviness and warmth in one's limbs. These short-term mental exercises appeared to reduce stress or effects such as fatigue and tension while avoiding side effects such as headaches. Inspired by this research and Vogt's work, Johannes Heinrich Schultz became interested in the phenomenon of autosuggestion. He wanted to explore an approach to relaxation, which would avoid undesirable passivity of the patients and dependency on the therapist. To this end, Schultz developed a set of six exercises called autogenic training. Autogenic training was popularized in North America and the English-speaking world by Wolfgang Luthe, a German physician, who worked under Schultz and investigated the effects of autogenic training on physical and mental health issues. Later on, when Luthe immigrated to Canada, he wrote about autogenic training in English, thereby introducing the English-speaking world to AT. With help from Schultz, Luthe published ''Autogenic Therapy'', a multi-volume text that described AT in detail, in 1969. The publication of ''Autogenic Therapy'' brought AT to North America. Later on, his disciple Luis de Rivera, a McGill University-trained psychiatrist, introduced psychodynamic concepts into Luthe's approach, developing autogenic analysis as a new method for uncovering the unconscious. More recently in 2015,

biofeedback Biofeedback is the technique of gaining greater awareness of many physiology, physiological functions of one's own body by using Electronics, electronic or other instruments, and with a goal of being able to Manipulation (psychology), manipulate ...

practitioners integrate basic elements of autogenic imagery and have simplified versions of parallel techniques that are used in combination with biofeedback. This was done at the Menninger Foundation by Elmer Green, Steve Fahrion, Patricia Norris, Joe Sargent, Dale Walters and others. They incorporated the hand warming imagery of autogenic training and used it as an aid to develop thermal biofeedback.

Technique

Autogenic training can be practiced in any comfortable posture, while keeping eyes closed. In autogenic training, the trainees engage in passive concentration. Passive concentration refers to concentrating on inner sensations rather than environmental stimuli. The technique consists of six standard exercises according to Schultz: # Muscular relaxation by repetition of a verbal formula, "My right arm is heavy", emphasizing heaviness. During the initial stages of the training, the feeling of heaviness in the trained arm is more expressed and occurs more rapidly. The same feeling can be experienced in the other extremities at the same time in the other arm. Within a week, a short concentration can trigger the sensation of heaviness in a trainee's arms and legs. # Passive concentration focuses on feeling warm, initiated by the instruction "My right arm is warm". # Initiation of cardiac activity using the formula "My heartbeat is calm and regular". # Passive concentration on the respiratory mechanism with the formula "It breathes me". # Concentration on the warmth in the abdominal region with "My solar plexus is warm" formula. # Passive concentration on coolness in the cranial region with the formula "My forehead is cool". When a new exercise step is added in autogenic training, the trainee should always concentrate initially on the already learned exercises and then add a new exercise. In the beginning, a new exercise is added for only brief periods. According to the specific clinical needs, the training can be modified to include fewer formulas, or include a slightly different formula.

Benefits

The main benefit of autogenic training is the autonomic self-regulation achieved by removing environmental distraction, training imagery that accompanies autonomic self-regulation, and providing a facilitative set of exercises that are easy to learn and remember. A study by Laci Spencer suggests that autogenic training restores the balance between the activity of the sympathetic (flight or fight) and the

parasympathetic The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulat ...

(rest and digest) branches of the

autonomic nervous system The autonomic nervous system (ANS), sometimes called the visceral nervous system and formerly the vegetative nervous system, is a division of the nervous system that operates viscera, internal organs, smooth muscle and glands. The autonomic nervo ...

. The author hypothesizes that this can have important health benefits, as the parasympathetic activity promotes

digestion Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food compounds into small water-soluble components so that they can be absorbed into the blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into th ...

and bowel movements, lowers the

blood pressure Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of Circulatory system, circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term ...

, slows the

heart rate Heart rate is the frequency of the cardiac cycle, heartbeat measured by the number of contractions of the heart per minute (''beats per minute'', or bpm). The heart rate varies according to the body's Human body, physical needs, including the nee ...

, and promotes the functions of the

immune system The immune system is a network of biological systems that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to bacteria, as well as Tumor immunology, cancer cells, Parasitic worm, parasitic ...

. A meta-analysis study by Friedhelm and Kupper found that autogenic training was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Additionally, autogenic training was found to have a positive effect on physical health outcomes, such as reducing pain and improving quality of life for individuals with chronic illnesses. They also found that AT was also effective in the following psychosomatic disorders: mild-to-moderate hypertension, coronary heart disease, Raynaud's disease, and tension headache and migraine.

Biological aspects

There is a lack of neurophysiological investigations addressing this topic; however, one EEG study from 1963 suggested that the decrease in afferent stimulation induces a reduction in reticulo-cortical activity, decrease in thalamo-cortical activity, and functional changes in the structures connected to reticular system (

hypothalamus The hypothalamus (: hypothalami; ) is a small part of the vertebrate brain that contains a number of nucleus (neuroanatomy), nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions is to link the nervous system to the endocrin ...

, limbic system, red nucleus, globus pallidus). The same study suggested that EEG patterns obtained from subjects with different level of practice are not similar. Another study from 1958 hypothesized that autogenic state is between the normal waking state and sleep. It suggests that EEG patterns occurring during autogenic training are similar to electrophysiological changes occurring during initial stages of

sleep Sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain Sensory nervous system, sensory activity is inhibited. During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activity and interactions with th ...

Contraindications

Autogenic training is contra-indicated for children below the age of 5 and the individuals whose symptoms cannot be controlled.

Applications

Autogenic training has different applications and is used in a variety of pathophysiological conditions, such as bronchial asthma or

hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...

, as well as psychological disorders e.g.

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

and depression. Autogenic training has been subject to clinical evaluation from its early days in Germany, and from the early 1980s worldwide. In 2002, a

meta-analysis Meta-analysis is a method of synthesis of quantitative data from multiple independent studies addressing a common research question. An important part of this method involves computing a combined effect size across all of the studies. As such, th ...

of 60 studies was published in ''Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback'', finding significant positive effects of treatment when compared to normals over a number of diagnoses; finding these effects to be similar to best recommended rival therapies; and finding positive additional effects by patients, such as their perceived quality of life. Autogenic training is recommended in the 2016 European Society of Cardiology Guideline for prevention of cardiovascular disease in persons who experience psychosocial problems. The International Journal of Dermatology conducted a study and found that Autogenic Training was potentially helpful for improving aged skin in women experiencing menopause. Retrieved 25 September 2019.

Compared to other relaxation techniques

The principle of passive concentration in autogenic training makes this technique different from other relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and

, in which trainees try to control physiological functions. As in biofeedback, bidirectional change in physiological activity is possible. Autogenic training is classified as a self-hypnotic technique. It is different from hetero-hypnosis, where trance is induced by another individual. Autogenic training emphasizes a trainee's independence and gives control from therapist to the trainee. By this, the need for physiological feedback devices or a hypnotherapist is eliminated.

References

External links

The British Autogenic Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Autogenic Training Meditation Hypnosis Treatment of mental disorders Mind–body interventions