Today’s popular large group therapy seminars claim to help us heal from our egocentric thoughts and entrenched defenses that skew the way we relate to the people and situations around us.
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t’s 11 a.m. Friday morning. About 30 men — mostly chareidim of various ages and backgrounds — are seated in a circle in
absolute silence at a retreat outside of Jerusalem. Over half of them are here for the first time, and the anticipation runs deep. The facilitator explains the ground rules for the next three days: no random talking, no watches, and a time limit on Erev Shabbos phone calls. This will help them focus on the experience ahead.
Outside, the midday sun glistens; the scene is rural and serene. Inside, the men are instructed to rise, blindfold themselves and dance to the loud undulating rhythms of electronic music that begins reverberating throughout the room, in order to help them release their inhibitions. Some get into the spirit, waving their hands and dancing freely to its metallic beat. Others barely move their legs.
Minutes later, the music stops and the blindfolds are removed. Then the men follow their designated coaches into private groups, where the real work takes place. By Sunday evening, friends have told them, they will have arrived at an understanding of themselves like nothing they’ve ever experienced. Some are excited, others are wary — but everyone is prepared to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
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