History and Evolution of Autogenic Training(<Special Issue>Clinical Application and Utility of Autogenic Training in Psychosomatic Medicine)

Abstract

Autogenic training is a psychophysiological self-regulation method originated from the study of hypnosis by J. H. Schultz, a German neurologist. Nowadays it has been widely applied not only for the treatment method in medical settings, but also for the stress management, health promotion and performance improvement in educational, industrial as well as sports settings. This paper discussed the process of development, the subsequent evolution and the present status of practice and research concerning autogenic training, along with the recent trends in Japan and other major foreign countries. The author suggested that the reexamination of autogenic training from the evidence-based perspective was needed so as to specify further the effectiveness and contraindications at the present time.