Hale Dwoskin is author of the best-seller The Sedona Method.  Dwoskin's suggests a way to live life without worry, depression, and anxiety.   His basic idea that that you are normal and okay as you are, and that it does no good to worry about life, so you should stop worrying.  Furthermore, he says that with some practice, it is quite simple to let go of emotions and just live in the present.  In his hour long presentation he gives no scientific evidence for any of this.  He has a pleasant relaxed manner, even if he is slightly reminiscent of the character of David Brent played by Ricky Gervais in the original BBC version of The Office.  He makes a few bizarre claims — the most notable one is that animals don't get depressed, except for pets, who are trying to impersonate their owners.  A little study of great apes shows that non-humans do indeed get depressed, and depression can serve an important social role in groups.  Dwoskin's claim no matter what happens, it is not necessary to become worried or depressed is an interesting one, reminiscent of some ideas from Buddhism.  The suggestion provides an attractive alternative to psychotherapy, with its insistence that it is not necessary to dredge up unhappy events from the past in order to get over them.  However, Dwoskin's approach raises a number of questions.  Most obviously, the claim that it is possible to just let go of the past and unhealthy emotions is bound to be controversial, and goes counter to most people's experience.  Especially in the case of people with mental illnesses, it is simply not possible to let go of anxiety and depression.  Furthermore, Dwoskin's approach seems to be made to appeal to people who don't want to deal with their obligations and face the truths of the past.  The Sedona Method could serve as an antidote to the self-obsession that comes with some forms of psychotherapy and could be useful for people who hold onto their emotions too much, but it seems problematic as a complete guide to life.

© 2008 Christian Perring

Christian Perring, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Dowling College, New York.