Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"[Science fiction] is the one literary medium left in which we have a free hand. We can do any damn thing we please."
- Alfred Bester
 |
| Tiersian Therapy | ||
| A therapeutic discipline in which the patient chooses a character from a book and then attempts to be that character. |
This is the fictional name for a real discipline, 'projective psychotherapy'.
| "THE TIERSIAN THERAPY patients form a small and elite volunteer group," Doctor Porsena said. "Usually, they start out with volume one, The Maker of Universes, and read the rest in proper sequence. They choose a character in the books and try to BE that character. They adopt all the mental and emotional characteristics of the role model whether they're good or bad. As therapy progresses, they come to a point where they start getting rid of the bad qualities of the character they've chosen. But they keep the good features.
"It's rather like a snake shedding its skin. The patient's uncontrolled delusions, the undesirable emotional factors which brought him or her here, are gradually replaced by controlled delusions. The controlled delusions are those which the patient adopts when he or she becomes, in a sense, the character in the series. "There's much more to the treatment than this, but you'll understand that as therapy proceeds. You follow me?" "So far," Jim said. "This really works, right?" "The failure rate is phenomenally low. In your case, even though you've read the series, you will have to reread it. The World of Tiers will be your Bible, your key to health if you work with it and at it." Jim was silent for a while. He was considering the series and also wondering which character -- some of them were really vicious -- he would like to adopt. To become, as the doctor said. |
| From Red Orc's Revenge,
by Philip Jose Farmer. Published by Signet in 1991 Additional resources -
|
A real-life psychiatrist, A. James Giannini, M.D., used Philip Jose Farmer's books as aids to self-analysis. The technique, projective psychotherapy, involves immersing patients in a fictional world the entire contents of which is known to the therapist.
The novel Red Orc's Rage was written by Farmer in consultation with Dr. Giannini. The novel used is Farmer's earlier series, the "World of Tiers" novels.
Thanks to Blue Monkey for the tip on this item.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Red Orc's Revenge
More Ideas
and Technology by Philip Jose Farmer
Tech news articles related to Red Orc's Revenge
Tech news articles related to works by Philip Jose Farmer
Tiersian Therapy-related
news articles:
- How To 'Level Up' In Psychotherapy
| What Does A Tesla Full Self-Driving Car See? |
| Satoshi Tomizu Creates Pocket Universes And Worldcraft Bubbles In Glass |
| Personalized Masks Appear |
| Science Fiction Helps Young Readers Build Resiliency |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'With his motor in operation, he moves like a diver, head foremost...'
'I start twelve immensely strong wires--naked, not insulated --from a big dynamo...'
'All objects within my panoramic gaze trembled and vibrated like quick motion pictures...'
'Some clad in the insulated space-suits, with their transparent glassite helmets.'
'Its motion was so swift, complex, and perfect that at first I did not see it as a machine, in spite of its metallic glitter.'
Propulsion-assisted orbital decay, brought to you by SpaceX.
'He applied the tip of the instrument to the interior of the wound...'
'...what's to keep me from showing face, Man?'
'The Worldcraft bubble glittered, catching the light...'
'This is Elmer Schmitz, presenting to you the finalists in our Aviation Quiz Program...'
