An oriental point of view in psychosomatic medicine.

In many cases of 'alexithymia' there also seems to be a difficulty in the awareness and expression of bodily feelings (tentatively called 'alexisomia'). Furthermore, this insensitivity to the body obstructs one's awareness towards the laws of nature with which the body is implicitly in touch. Holistic awareness, which includes not only the intellect but also emotional, bodily and ecological (existential) aspects of man, can be the basic principle for holistic self-control. Oriental body-oriented approaches which facilitate such a holistic awareness must be reevaluated as an essential part of psychosomatic treatment.