Reading is a key that opens the door to different worlds we have never known. By reading, we step out of our own world and immerse ourselves in the realm of the author and the book. We gain the opportunity to look at ourselves and the world from a different perspective. When we return, we find ourselves, our outlook, and our interpretation of the world changed.
Staying true to our values and being successful in every field depend on our knowledge, culture, and wisdom. Following the guidance of the Qur’anic verses, Bediüzzaman, who walks in the light of Divine teachings, says that the primary duty of humans is to attain perfection by acquiring knowledge and offering verbal, spiritual, and physical prayers.[1]
Individual reading yields great benefits. However, reading the same topic from different sources and discussing it with a few people adds another layer of depth. Discussion, as it is customary, is not just about reading a book, nor is it about one person reading while others doze off. On the contrary, it is about ten individuals brainstorming around a topic, expressing their thoughts, and reaching genuine knowledge.[2]
Each book has a different impact on individuals. In order for group readings to be productive, it is important for the selected book to be suitable for the group, and the participants’ education and reading techniques are also important.
We do not have to follow a single reading technique. What matters is for everyone to benefit from the discussion, enjoy the pleasure of learning new things, and make reading a reputable endeavor. Therefore, it is important to change the reading format from time to time and develop new methods.
Reading is also used for psychological therapy purposes today. By reading books that nourish the soul, mind, and heart, people can enrich their inner worlds. Through the books they read, they discover their emotions and thoughts. In group readings, they articulate their emotions and thoughts, opening up their inner worlds to others.
What is Bibliotherapy?
The use of literature for therapeutic purposes is called “bibliotherapy.” Bibliotherapy is an effective therapy technique for conditions such as depression and panic disorder. This technique is also used to maintain a person’s psychological well-being and begins with identifying problematic areas and selecting texts that are suitable for these problems and may contribute to healing. It is important for the selected book to be suitable for the person’s level of perception, otherwise, the enthusiasm for reading may not be seen.
The reader, who takes note of the emotions and thoughts aroused by the selected book, shares them with a psychologist. In this reading, the reader first tries to understand the character in the text and identifies problems similar to their own. By looking at themselves from an external perspective, the reader discovers how they feel in certain situations, their capabilities, and their problem-solving abilities.
Some organizations that have discovered this feature of literature operate in many countries around the world. These organizations work to keep society’s happiness and psychological health levels high.[3]
Shared Reading
Can literature help us solve some of the problems we face in life?
Can individuals heal themselves and live a better life by reading literature, especially in some psychological conditions?
Jane Davis, who discovered that literature can be a good friend in difficult times in life and its effect on psychology, developed the technique of “shared reading.”
Shared reading involves a group of people coming together to read a short story or a chapter from a novel aloud. Participants discuss the emotions, thoughts, associations, and memories the text evokes in them.
Davis initiated this technique in Liverpool in 2008. Later, this technique began to be implemented in most parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Sweden, and Norway.[4]
Shared reading is a type of bibliotherapy and is conducted with a guide, but there is no therapeutic purpose here; the important thing is to share literary texts. The individuals guiding the reading group first undergo training. Based on the method on which this type of reading is based, the informed guides conduct voice reading exercises. Additionally, they learn about how the text is selected, how preparation is made for reading, how questions are worked on, and how to get to know each individual.
Especially in the United Kingdom and Denmark, studies have shown that group reading, guided by a guide, is beneficial for human psychology, and the quality of life of patients with chronic pain who participate in reading groups has been observed to increase.
According to Danish literature researcher Mette Steenberg, shared reading does not replace traditional psychological therapy but can support it. However, culture and health work together and allow people to come together in meaningful activities.[5]
Reading not only enriches our world of knowledge but also has very positive effects on our psychological health. The increasing number of communities in the world that have discovered that group reading can contribute to healing is evidence of this.
[1] Bediüzzaman Said Nursî, Sözler, İstanbul: Şahdamar Yayınları, 2010, p. 336.
[2] Bkz. M. Fethullah Gülen, “Sistemli Kitap Okuma”, http://www.herkul.org/kirik-testi/sistemli-kitap-okuma/
[3] Ece Bekaroğlu, “Kitapların Psikoterapide Bir Aracı Olarak Kullanımı: Vaka Örneği ile Bibliyoterapi Uygulaması”, Akademik Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 7/94, Temmuz 2019, pp. 250–258.
[4] http://www.thereader.org.uk
[5] Mette Steenberg, “Læseforeningen – Shared Reading i Danmark”, http://www.bibliotekeneshus.no/laeseforeningen-shared-reading-i-danmark/
