Our committee has been holding ethics symposia for three years. At the latest symposium, the third one, we picked up the theme, "Do Naikan interviewers need particular qualifications?"

We determined to run a special edition to report part of the symposium. In this paper, I contemplate some problems such as "the process of determining ethics and qualification problems," "qualifications for Naikan interviews," "the obligation of confidentiality," and "other qualifications issues" from the viewpoint of a coordinator.

The interaction between Naikan therapist and client is not only dependent on the client's performance of the three Naikan themes, but it is also influenced by the framework of the therapeutic setting. The folding screen protects patients from external stimuli and invasion of privacy, and then helps them to concentrate. When the Naikan therapist empathizes with the client, the folding screen can bring about benign regression with the "ability to be alone (Winnicott)" for the client. The open space setting in Naikan therapy allows the clients to confess their reflections anonymously and prevents direct dependency on the therapist. Through this therapeutic process the patient can embrace an open mind and experience true gratitude.

  In this study I report on the effects of short-term Naikan and Naikan based on qualitative analysis. The duration of short-term Naikan was insufficient to enable subjects to reach the level of awareness required for deeper understanding. In contrast, Naikan allowed sufficient time for subjects to concentrate and devote themselves to therapy in the latter half of the experience, during which they experienced profound realizations and deeper understanding. However, in the present study, which evaluated the experience process of Naikan, I compared the experience processes of short-term Naikan and Naikan as an educational process. I also discuss the topic from the perspective of gaining an understanding of life history in social work. In addition, I examine the connection between Naikan as a method of self-awareness fundamental to the expertise of social workers, and useful as an education method for social workers. As a result, I show that students benefit from the objective perspective, social perspective, and realization of a common experience of mutual support provided by Naikan.

  Eight in-patients (five women and three men) of M hospital's dementia ward were studied. Three of them were diagnosed with vascular dementia and five with Alzheimer dementia. This research was conducted beginning July, 2004, for one year. Two cases were dropped from the study because of the rapid progress of dementia. The other six cases showed neither improvement nor deterioration as indicated by HDS-R and MMSE. Other studies have shown similar results. The finding that little or no progress of dementia is seen suggests effectiveness of this treatment.

Interesting changes in drawing tests were observed. In the Baum test (tree test), unhealthily twisted trees changed to healthy trees, natural and straight. In the landscape montage technique (LMT), items drawn without mutual relations came to be drawn with mutual relations, and ambiguous or unnatural expressions changed to natural and real ones. These results suggest that the right brain function increased in sensitivity as a result of this treatment.

We also observed improvements in patients' confidence, feelings of well-being, and gratitude toward surroundings. Although the theme of the Reminiscence Method is inappropriate for young staff members with less life experience, Naikan is appropriate for both young and old. Therefore, young people could interactively exchange with the elderly more easily through Naikan. We conclude that the Reminiscence Method combined with Naikan will likely bring improved self-evaluation and feelings of well-being for the both parties.

  When you think about Naikan from the outside, you may misunderstand it. Naikan's third theme “What troubles and difficulties did you cause a specific person, such as mother or father?” may cause you to feel moralistically held back in expressing your thoughts and feelings. Here I consider the usefulness of Naikan's three themes in extending capabilities for developing and extending insight.

  In addition, I aim to explain the utility of Naikan's third item, "the matters with which I troubled you", through the Erich Fromm's psychoanalytic theory. His theory holds that in maturing we must free ourselves from our parents while incorporating the motherhood principle and fatherhood principle into ourselves, becoming our own mothers and fathers. I examine the reason why Naikan can instill the motherhood principle and fatherhood principle. Furthermore, I compare the process and structure of guilt in Naikan with dysfunctional guilt. By these means, I intend to offer a modern interpretation of the third theme of Naikan, born of Oriental thought, interpreted though Western thought.

  This paper aims to show a new perspective on the mechanism of Naikan through the concept of "Engi" (relationship, Sanskrit:pratitya-samutpada) in Buddhist philosophy.

Firstly, I introduce the concept of "Engi" and show its historical development:

a. Engi in early Buddhism (4th Century BC, India, simple causal relationship),

b. Nagarjuna's thought about Engi (2nd -3rd Century A.D. India , interactive, interdependent relationship),

c. Engi in Kegon (Avatamsaka) philosophy (7th Century A.D. China, universal network of interpenetration).

In this paper, I mainly use the concept of Engi in Kegon philosophy.

Secondly, I propose that many clients of Intensive Naikan acquire the "sense of Engi" (a sense that everything depends on everything else, including ourselves). This resembles the Engi thought of the Kegon philosophy.

Thirdly, I show three aspects of the sense of Engi caused by Naikan.

a. Passive aspect: the sense that powers of others (parents, society, and nature) give life to me.

b. Neutral aspect: the sense that everything is giving life to everything.

c. Positive aspect: the sense that I should give life to others.

Fourthly, I aim to theorize the positive aspect of the sense of Engi through the concept of "reciprocity".

  This is a report based on an interview with Waichi NAKAUCHI who guided a death penalty prisoner who practiced deep Naikan in prison. The prisoner was executed calmly.