Medard Boss And The Philosophy Of Dasein

Medard Boss was a Swiss psychoanalytic psychiatrist who developed a form of psychotherapy known as Dasein analysis. This kind of analysis linked the psychotherapeutic practice of psychoanalysis with the phenomenological existential philosophy of his friend and mentor Martin Heidegger.

The term Dasein, used mainly in philosophy, comes from German and means ‘to be there’. This philosophical term has been used by various German authors, but it is mainly associated with Heidegger.

The idea of ​​combining psychology and philosophy may seem contrary to the idea of ​​psychology as a science. However, we must not forget that the role of philosophy was fundamental for the later development of the sciences. In this sense, psychology is still a science of the mind that saw its origins in the theory of knowledge. In turn, the relationship between the mind and ideas is extremely important for psychological study.

Here’s how this philosophy of Dasein profoundly influenced the psychology and studies of Medard Boss.

Medard Boss beginnings

Medard Boss was born in St. Gallen, Switzerland, on October 4, 1903, but grew up in Zurich. At that time, the city was in full swing in psychological studies.

He received his medical degree in 1928, taking time to study in Paris and Vienna and be analyzed by Sigmund Freud himself. Later, the analysis continued through sessions with the Swiss psychoanalyst Hans Behn Eschenburg.

Upon his return to Zurich, he continued his training at the Burghölzli Hospital under the supervision of the psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler. Subsequently, she went on to formal psychoanalytic training at the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute (BPI), where her supervisory analyst was Karen Horney. At the BIS, he studied with Hanns Sachs, Otto Fenichel, Wilhelm Reich, and Kurt Goldstein.

Professional maturity

Later, he moved to London, where he worked closely with Ernest Jones for six months at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases.

Starting in 1938, again in Zurich, Carl Gustav Jung invited Boss to join a workshop with other doctors to study analytical psychology. This experience with Jung lasted for almost ten years and helped Boss see that psychoanalysis should not be limited to Freudian interpretations.

It was during the 1930s that Boss also met Ludwig Binswanger. Through Binswanger, Boss came into contact with the work of the philosopher Martin Heidegger which would play a crucial role in the further development of his career.

Thanks to the influence of Heidegger, Boss would forever convert to existential psychology. His impact on existential therapy has been so great that he is often mentioned alongside Ludwig Binswanger as its co-founder.

After four years at Burgholzli Hospital, he continued his studies between Berlin and London. In Germany and England, his teachers included various people in Freud’s inner circle, such as Karen Horney and Kurt Goldstein.

Dasein analysis theory

For Boss, the existential point of the world is not something we interpret, it is something that exists beyond all interpretation. Thus, his theory pointed to that something is revealed in the ‘light’ of Dasein.

Essentially, Boss believed that Dasein was a means to open the mind, to bring light to a situation. The symbolism of light played an important role in Boss’s work: ‘coming out of the dark’, ‘illuminating an idea’ and ultimately ‘enlightenment’.

Boss also claimed that mood played a decisive role in the way people reacted to their environment. An angry person, for example, would be primarily tuned in to elements that create angry feelings.

Medard Boss’s medical thinking and practice was influenced by his 1956, 1958, and 1966 travels to India. There he interacted with the Indian scholar Swami Gobind Kaul.

Boss and dreams

Boss has studied dreams more than any other existentialist and considers them important in therapy. However, instead of interpreting them as Freudians or Jungians do, he allows them to reveal their own meanings.

Thus, Boss postulated that dreams created their own message rather than displaying symbols of deeper feelings.

According to Boss, dreams show us how we are lighting up our lives. That is, if we feel trapped, our feet will be tied in sleep; If we feel free, we will fly

In 1971, he was presented with the Grand Therapist Award, awarded by the American Psychological Association. For almost two decades he presided over the International Society for Medical Psychotherapy.

Boss’s books include Existential Foundations of Medicine and Psychology , Psychoanalysis and Dasein Analysis , and The Analysis of Dreams . Medard Boss died in 1990, after a life full of academic success and an interesting legacy for psychology.