Aleksandar Fatić

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The Modal World of IntegrativePhilosophical Counselling (I)IntroductoryIt	is	about	9	a.m.	in	a	COVID-19	ward,	in	a	sickroom	with	three	patients.	It	is	quiet,	with	a	light	glaring	from	the	ceiling.	Masked,	fully	protected	nurses	rush	as	they	connect	drips,	take	temperature,	and	measure	the	oxygen	level	in	patients’	blood.	There	is	a	constant	low	whistle	of	the	oxygen	streaming	through	the	pipes.	Huge	cylinders	occupy	the	room,	helping	the	three	suffer-ers	breathe.	I	was	in	this	room	for	eight	days,	between	15	and	23	December	2020.	I	was	struggling	on	edge	for	a	while,	my	lungs	unable	to	take	the	oxy-gen.In	that	room,	everyone	was	a	philosopher.The	philosophical	practice	is	suited	to	precisely	such	situations.	It	is	a	way	of	making	philosophy	relevant	to	painful	and	otherwise	significant	 life	events	and	a	methodically	rigorous	way	of	rendering	philosophy	the	foundation	for	integrating	 various	 psychotherapeutic	 interpretations	 of	 experience.	 Philo-sophical	 practice	 comprehensively	 integrates	 psychotherapy.	 In	 this	 sense,	philosophical	practice	is	the	ultimate	integration	of	the	previously	dissipated	schools,	methods,	concepts,	and	psychotherapeutic	ideas.	By	applying	both	the	 experience	 gathered	 through	 the	 development	 of	 various	 psychothera-peutic	schools	based	on	psychological	theories	and	the	wealth	of	philosoph-ical	concepts	and	traditions,	philosophical	practice	offers	a	unique	and	new	way	 of	 looking	 at	 psychic	 reality.	 It	 looks	 at	 psychodynamics	 and	 applies	the	ancient	wisdom	of	philosophy	to	understanding	our	present-day	issues,	problems	and	dilemmas.	In	this	sense,	philosophical	practice	is	probably	the	science	of	today:	today’s	practical	humanity	is	based	on	a	fundamental	shift	in thinking logic.One	of	the	key	tenets	of	philosophical	practice	and	integrative	philosophical	counselling	is	the	insistence	on	modal	logic	instead	of	the	binary	logic	based	on	truth-tables.	It	is	the	insistence	on	modal	logic,	on	the	understanding	of	our	 thought	 as	 capable	 of	 bringing	 about	 the	modal	worlds	which	 are	 not	currently	real	and	making	them	part	of	our	living	reality	that	holds	the	main	promise	of	integrative	psychotherapy.	It	inextricably	links	social,	inter-per-sonal,	and	in	that	sense	objective	change	in	one’s	circumstances	and	inner	experience	of	the	world.	Only	such	change,	combining	the	methodically	rig-orously	founded	reaching	out	for	the	realisation	of	a	different,	not-yet-real,	but	possible,	modal	world,	with	a	yearning,	anticipation	and	guided	prepara-tion	for	a	new	subjective	experience	and	a	new	emotion,	once	the	new	modal	290SYNTHESIS PHILOSOPHICA70	(2/2020)	p.p.	(289–293)A.	Fatić,	The	Modal	World	of	Integrative	Philosophical	Counselling	(I)world	is,	in	a	sense,	called	into	reality	by	our	methodical	efforts,	promises	a	lasting	change	in	the	quality	of	life.1Modal	logic	is	the	very	essence	of	our	overall	spiritual	life	and	philosophical	understanding	of	our	life.	In	this	sense,	integrative	philosophical	counselling	is	very	close	to	religious	practice:	it	is	very	open	to	Christian	counselling	and	Christian	ethics,	and	it	endorses	several	important	concepts	from	the	philos-ophy	of	Christianity.On	this	basis,	we	develop	an	outline	of	the	current	perspectives	in	philosoph-ical	practice	in	this	special	volume,	which	contains	fourteen	papers.	These	papers	are	introductory	in	the	sense	that	they	only,	as	Arthur	Schopenhauer	once	said,	briefly	open	the	“veil	of	Maya”	–	the	veil	of	deceit	hiding	impor-tant	truths	from	our	everyday	understanding.	By	looking	briefly	behind	the	veil	of	Maya	through	these	fourteen	papers,	one	may	be	able	to	apprehend	the	essential	characteristics	of	philosophical	integrative	counselling:“…	(t)he	ancient	wisdom	of	the	Indian	philosophers	declares,	‘It	is	Maya,	the	veil	of	deception,	which	blinds	the	eyes	of	mortals,	and	makes	them	behold	a	world	of	which	they	cannot	say	either	that	it	is	or	that	it	is	not:	for	it	is	like	a	dream;	it	is	like	the	sunshine	on	the	sand	which	the	traveler	takes	from	afar	for	water,	or	the	stray	piece	of	rope	he	mistakes	for	a	snake’.”2Schopenhauer’s	description	of	the	veil	of	Maya	has	surprisingly	much	to	do	with	modal	logic,	 just	as	 it	does	with	traditional	epistemology.	In	the	very	sentence	preceding	the	above	quote,	Schopenhauer	directly	connects	the	In-dian	concept	of	the	veil	of	Maya	with	Kant’s	reservations	about	our	ability	to	know	the	‘thing-in-itself’.	In	integrative	philosophical	counselling	and	in	the	appropriate	integrative	philosophical	interpretation,	the	veil	of	Maya	is	exactly	the	blockage	of	our	view	to	the	not-real	(to	use	Galtung’s	terminol-ogy)	 and	 yet	 entirely	 possible	modal	worlds.	 It	 is	 a	metaphor	 that	 orients	our	attention	towards	one	of	the	most	practical	principles	in	integrative	psy-chotherapy	–	‘being	realistic’	in	the	sense	of	focusing	only	on	what	is	‘real’	is	the	least	philosophical	and	practically	the	least	useful	way	of	conceiving	and	practising	psychotherapy.	Being	‘unrealistic’	means	operating	on	modal	territory	and	glimpsing	behind	the	veil	of	Maya	as	and	when	it	permits	us	to	penetrate	what	it	hides.	What	is	hidden	beneath	the	veil	may	eventually	come	under	the	sun	of	our	‘reality’	that	currently	causes	us	suffering.	This	is	the	philosophical	journey	of	integrative	counselling	that	is	not	entirely	rational-istic	but	relies	strongly	on	traditions	of	spirituality	and	practical	wisdom	to	which	Schopenhauer	himself	–	and	so	many	influential	psychotherapists	and	theoretical	psychiatrists	throughout	the	modern	history	of	psychotherapy	–	have been so pliable with.In	this	issue	of	Synthesis philosophica,	we	present	the	first	 part	of	the	spe-cial	theme.	In	the	next	issue,	we	will	present	the	second	part	of	this	volume,	bringing	about	a	different	perspective.	That	collection	will	merit	a	separate	introduction	 that	will	 be	more	detailed	 and	 focused	on	 the	 specificities	 of	philosophical	practice	exemplified	by	the	upcoming	seven	contributions.At	this	point,	it	suffices	 to	say	that	integrative	philosophical	counselling	is	a	new,	synthetic	perspective	in	the	practical	humanities,	one	from	which	all	kinds	of	consultancy	can	be	drawn,	on	an	individual,	group,	corporate	and	social	level.	It	is	proposed	as	a	fountain	from	which	we	can	all	drink,	take	fresh	 concepts	 and	 ideas:	 the	 fresh,	 practically	 useful	 philosophical	water	which	we	need	in	this	current	crisis	of	social	sciences	and	humanities,	which	are  becoming  increasingly  similar  to  a  mathematical  or  empirical  science.  291SYNTHESIS PHILOSOPHICA70	(2/2020)	p.p.	(289–293)A.	Fatić,	The	Modal	World	of	Integrative	Philosophical	Counselling	(I)This includes psychology which tends to wrinkle up methodically and crea-tively	because	it	has	persistently	tried	to	become	an	empirical	science,	thus	sapping	its	body	of	all	the	juices	of	creative	philosophical	interpretation,	dis-figuring	its	original	and	beautiful	character	of	the	art	of	interpreting	psychic	life.	In	this	context,	integrative	philosophical	counselling	is	a	return	to	nor-malcy.	It	is	a	return	to	the	ancient	wisdom	of	applying	philosophical	concepts	as healing tools. Epicurus once said that philosophy which heals no pain does not	deserve	to	exist	(“a	philosophy	that	does	not	heal	the	soul	is	no	better	than	medicine	that	cannot	cure	the	body”).3Such	a	healing	perspective	for	philosophy	is	promising	and	ambitious	at	the	same	time.	It	is	rigorously	grounded	in	modal	logic	and	the	findings	of	ap-plied	psychology	and	other	helping	professions	which	have	thus	far	informed	the	 philosophical	 discourse.	Until	 this	 date,	 the	 knowledge	 and	 dissipated	insights accumulated throughout the psychotherapeutic work have not been lost,	but	ingrained	and	preserved	in	a	greater	body	of	integrative	philosoph-ical counselling.It	is	in	the	darkness	and	loneliness	of	our	life	experience	that	we	call	upon	the	different	modal	worlds.	 If	we	call	 them	into	 reality,	 it	 is	 through	what	Scott Peck calls prayer time  or prayer proper.4  By prayer time,	Scott	Peck	means	a	focused	concentration	on	our	thinking,	needs,	and	sensibilities.	By	such	philosophical	and,	at	the	same	time,	spiritual	concentration	and	mental	discipline,	we	may	bring	one	modal	world,	from	the	status	of	possible	but	not	actual,	to	the	status	of	real	and	actual	for	us,	in	the	present.	This	is	how	we	change	our	lives,	and	this	is	the	fundamental	principle	of	the	practical	imple-mentation	of	modal	logic,	as	opposed	to	two-dimensional	binary	logic.	That	is	the	foundation	on	which	integrative	philosophical	counselling	functions.It  takes considerable reservations to rationalism to be an integrative philo-sophical	counsellor.	Being	chained	to	rational	thinking,	to	deductive	logic,	to	only	the	seeming	guarantors	of	truth,	the	truth	tables	and	binary	values	is	a	way	of	drifting	away	from	wisdom,	from	the	ability	to	creatively,	artistically	and	usefully	interpret	our	existential	experience.	Being	chained	to	a	binary	value-based	understanding	of	 the	world	 is	 like	seeing	the	world	 in	 two	di-mensions,	missing	the	third	dimension	completely.	This	third	dimension	that	integrative	philosophical	counseling	brings	to	the	increasingly	lifeless	world	is considered a traditional psychotherapeutic theory. All psychological and psychotherapeutic theories are valid in their way. They are based on hypotheses that help us interpret the experiences we would oth-1   Cf.	 Aleksandar	 Fatić,	 Integrativna  psiho-trapija [Integrative  Psychotherapy],	 Institut	za	filozofiju	 i	društvenu	teoriju,	Sveučilište	u	Beogradu	2020,	pp.	227‒241.2	   Arthur	Schopenhauer,	The world as will  and representation,	 translated	 by	 E.	 F.	 J.	 Payne,	Dover	Publications,	New	York	1969,	p.	8.3	   Hermann	Usener,	Epicurea,	Teubner,	Leipzig	1887	 (Italian	 translation	 by	 Ilaria	 Ramelli,	Epicurea:  Testi  di  Epicuro  e  testimonianze  epicuree  nell’edizione  di  Hermann  Usener,	  Bompiani,	Milan	 2002),	 frag.	 221;	Aleksan-dar	 Fatić,	 Dimitrios	 Dentsoras,	 “Pleasure	 in	Epicurean  and  Christian  Orthodox  concep-tions	of	happiness”,	South African Journal of Philosophy	33	(2014)	4,	pp.	523‒536,	p.	524,	doi:	https://doi.org/10.1080/02580136.2014.967594.4   M.	 Scott	 Peck,	 The	 road  less  travelled  and  beyond:  Spiritual  growth  in  an  age  of  anxi-ety,	Simon	and	Schuster,	New	York	1997,	pp.	130‒131.292SYNTHESIS PHILOSOPHICA70	(2/2020)	p.p.	(289–293)A.	Fatić,	The	Modal	World	of	Integrative	Philosophical	Counselling	(I)erwise	not	make	sense	of.	At	the	same	time,	each	of	these	theories,	based	on	binary	logic,	is	mistaken.	It	is	only	a	metaphor:	a	way	of	portraying	certain	experiences	which	allows	us	 to	 symbolically	metabolise	 them	more	effec-tively,	 to	make	 a	 better	 sense	 of	 them.	However,	 integrative	 philosophical	counselling	integrates	all	of	these	binary,	black-and-white,	two-dimensional	theories	into	a	richer,	deeper	conceptual	vision	of	existence	and	provides	us	with	a	lasting	philosophy,	with	a	lasting	understanding	of	our	experiences.	It	opens	up	the	room	for	awareness:	for	fresh	awareness	to	form	and	to	guide	the	realisation	of	new	modal	worlds	in	our	reality	–	the	achievement	of	new	circumstances,	visions,	sensibilities,	preferences,	and	values.	This	changes	our	 lives.	 Integrative	 philosophical	 counselling,	 just	 like	 any	 counselling,	traditional	or	modern,	can	enhance	our	health,	but	it	also	strives	to	enhance	our	social	well-being,	and	those	two	aspects	of	well-being	are	very	closely	connected. One way to illustrate the change in action and active thought that integrative counselling	brings	to	the	table	is	to	use	the	key	psychoanalytic	metaphor	of	‘displacement’.	Drawing	on	Saussure,	Freud	believed	that	the	way	our	stream	of	 though	 functions	 is	 something	 like	 Democritus	 believed	 that	 ‘atoms’	moved:	sequentially	and	in	some	group	order,	but	without	inner	logic	–	provi-sionally.	Thus	Freud’s	initial	‘psychoanalytic	method’	is	of	free	associations:	let the therapist see how and in what order the client’s thoughts display them-selves	sequentially.	The	therapist	can	then	see	whether	useful	interpretations	can	be	drawn	from	such	sequences	of	random	thoughts.	However,	the	dyna-mising moment comes when both the therapist and the client understand that a	displacement,	a	deliberate	intervention	in	the	order	of	thoughts,	can	make	a	difference	in	the	overall	perception	of	one’s	situation,	and	ultimately	in	one’s	ability	to	seek	a	change	of	life	actively.	This	moment	of	deliberate	effort	to	disturb	the	spontaneous	sequencing	of	thoughts,	to	affect	a	‘displacement’,	is	the	moment	of	therapy	–	often	neglected.	It	requires	a	discipline	of	thought,	a	focus.	It	triggers	the	modal	logic	of	thinking	about	psychotherapy:	if	one	spontaneous	sequence	of	thoughts	is	an	experiential	modal	world,	its	ignition	to	change	and	induction	of	displacement	means	jumping	into	a	qualitatively	different	way	of	thinking	and	the	resulting	emotional	experience,	and	thus	a	‘jumping	into’,	or	‘calling	into	reality’,	of	a	different	modal	world:	differ-ent	decisions,	values,	choices,	sensibility	even	–	a	different	subjective	 life.	That	is	how	people	make	significant	changes	in	their	lives,	leave	behind	what	they	had	hitherto	considered	important	and	embrace	new	freedoms	and	new	roads.	The	development	of	this	dynamic	aspect	of	psychoanalysis	is	the	job	of	modern	Lacanian	psychoanalysis,	but	it	illustrates	the	action-based	model	of	intervention	characteristic	for	integrative	counselling.5 One	could	develop	all	kinds	of	parallels	between	this	ignition	of	‘jumps’	be-tween modal worlds that integrative counselling develops and almost all tra-ditional	psychotherapeutic	theories.	They	all	contain	kernels	of	truth	in	this	sense.	So	why	have	they	not	brought	those	kernels	to	full	fruition?	Because	they	persistently	stuck	to	the	binary	divide	between	‘real’	and	‘not	real’,	to	what	 is	 ‘true’	and	 ‘not	 true’	without	 realising	 the	 fundamental	modal	dis-tinction	made	by	Johan	Galtung	that	‘real’	and	‘unreal’	are	interchangeable	modal	worlds	belonging	to	‘the	possible’,	and	logically	separated	from	those	modal	worlds	that	are	‘impossible’.6Integrative counselling opens up a methodology which introduces modal log-ic	as	the	very	foundation	of	psychotherapy.	I	will	say	more	about	this	in	my	293SYNTHESIS PHILOSOPHICA70	(2/2020)	p.p.	(289–293)A.	Fatić,	The	Modal	World	of	Integrative	Philosophical	Counselling	(I)second introduction  to  the  second volume on  philosophical  practice  in  the  next	 issue	of	Synthesis  philosophica.  May these introductory lines and the initial	seven	papers	serve	both	as	a	‘teaser’	(if	we	way	be	allowed	to	proclaim	so)	and	an	initial	insight	into	integrative	philosophical	counselling,	before	the	topic	assumes	a	more	articulate	and	complete	form	with	the	follow-up.Aleksandar	Fatić5	   Cf.	 Paul	 Verhaeghe,	 On  being  normal  and  other  disorders.  A  manual  for  clinical  psy-chodiagnostics,	Carnac	Press,	London	2008.6	   Cf.	Johan	Galtung,	Theories of conflict,	Tran-scend	Peace	University,	Oslo	2009.

The Modal World of Integrative Philosophical Counselling (I)

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