A Japanese Musical Medical Doctor’s perspective

In our international AT community, such as this congress, fewer and fewer work exchanges and more and more discussions (talking) are taking place. It seems that this is the time to examine our psycho-physical balance for the future development of our AT community.

Having been a medical doctor and musician myself, I feel there is something fundamental missing, which is not sufficiently emphasized, in both fields (science & art). Science can sometimes capture the essence of the truth inside us. Art sometimes reveals the truth of the self. Yet, they tend to neglect the most important source, the self. The self is here and now not because it is approved scientifically. The self is the core of the art. Not the art creates the self.

In AT, we ‘work on self’ directly, and the self is psycho-physical unity.  For AT, the proof is not the innovative theory or discovery, nor art work, but the self, the fact that it exists psycho-physically, is the real proof! This is literally why I take AT work as the centre of myself.

And you?

The essence of AT work exchange is this very state where two (or more) functional (psycho-physical) humans are to meet each other. In the process of it, we both work on integrating our own psycho-physical elements, as well as on integrating with other humans. Words, ideas, emotions are the end-products of our psycho-physical processes. Whereas ‘the undivided self’ is the source of integration between humans. Isn’t this ‘undivided self’ the basis of communication in our AT community?

In the process of work exchange, we are all challenged. Our mind, emotion, physical state, manners, unconscious patterns, and the whole sense of the world which has been based on our experience and habits. However, rather than intellectually or emotionally being biased by these challenges, psycho-physical being is often revealed by itself when we allow more time and space to face and process each other openly.  We stimulate each other to be ourselves! This is the true benefit of AT exchange.

Re-examining AT exchange (communication) gives us the fresh opportunity to meet the self through other human beings. In this small class, we will re-examine AT exchange work with attendants together. I am hoping that this experience will share the core value of AT work. We are not here to be approved scientifically, nor to be evaluated by how artistic we are. Self is beyond science, beyond art!? Let’s see!

Those who are eager to exchange genuinely are the most welcome.

Let’s see our psycho-physical balance in our AT communication!