Restituerende faktorer i gruppemusikterapi med psykiatriske patienter.

Forestillingernes betydning
I GIM spiller de indre forestillingsbilleder naturligvis også en stor rolle, hvad enten de
opstår direkte som visuelle gestalter af musikkens lydlige påvirkning eller som visuelle
gestalter af emotioner, eller situationer som hidrører klientens personlige historie.
Quittner (1988) har fundet, at musik virker befordrende på indre billeddannelse og i en
foreslået teori om sammenhængen mellem musik og forestilling skriver Goldberg
(1992):
The theory presented… is that music may generate conscious or unconscious emotion
through direct physiological stimulation of the autonomic nervous system; emotion, in
turn, may evoke the image. Subsequent images may flow from the first as long as emotion
connected with that sequence of images remains. Then the affective influence of the music
may return and a new series of images ensues [Goldberg, 1983; in press]. The GIM
process may be likened to that described by Gestalt field theory which refers to the
differentiation of a part of the field of awareness into a place of central importance without
losing touch with the rest of the field [Latner, 1974; Perls, Hefferline & Goodman, 1951].
The field [music] is always present, but may recede in conscious importance or seem to
disappear momentarily as the gestalt [affect or image) comes into the centre of attention.
The gestalt represents whatever is "spontaneously dominant" and is the top of the
hierarchy of urgency at that time [Latner, 1974].
Goldberg præsenterer hermed også et indre følelsesmæssigt hierarki, hvilket
indebærer, at der foregår en stadig proces af spænding og afspænding af psykofysisk
ladet materiale som, når processen fungerer optimalt, indebærer en kontinuerlig
fordybelsesproces i klientens indre. Om rækkefølgen af følelser og billeder (hvad
kommer først ?) skriver Goldberg videre:
The emotion may be conscious or unconscious and gives rise to the image. If the emotion
is unconscious, the image will appear to emerge first; however, the image emerges as a
manifestation of emotion and a sign or symbol of the issue it represents for the listener.
When the sequence of images leads to strong emotion contrary to that evoked by the
music, for example, when anger gives way to sadness, and the music no longer supports
the experienced emotion, the process may break down. It is standard GIM practice to be
alert to this type of major affective shift and to provide different music when indicated.
This formulation of GIM is based on the theory that in the GIM experience image formation
is a function of the affective response to music.
Som det fremgår, præsenterer Goldberg også teorien om et i mennesket iboende behov
for at være i en homeostatisk psykofysisk balance - som organismen hele tiden stræber
imod.
For at forstå denne proces skriver Goldberg, at det er nødvendigt at forholde sig til
generelle teorier om følelsernes vej i vores organisme. Ifølge Mandler (1984) og
Plutchik (1984) er en følelse ikke en enkelt hændelse, men en sammensat oplevelse,
som forudsætter en bevidst evaluering af arrousals i det autonome nervesystem. M.a.o.
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