Consultation, Counseling, and Healing in Japanese New Religious and New Spirituality Movements

 Many of the New Religious Movements offer their members individual assistance to deal with the ups-and-downs of their lives. This support may range from moral guidance and consultation on daily affairs and individual counseling to resolve conflicts to the healing of physical illness and injuries. Especially the so-called New Spirituality Movements (shin reisei undō) emphasize the importance of spiritual health.

   The aim of this workshop is to discuss the forms, contents and intentions of religious ‘life assistance’ from different perspectives.  Aside from presenting an array of approaches to these problems as practiced by a number of religious groups, the contributions are intended to foster reflections on the social, mental and spiritual aspects of health within the context of New Religious and New Spirituality Movements in Japan.