Anthroposophic Arts Therapy

Matthias Girke

Last update: 20.02.2019

Art has accompanied medicine for a long time. Art brings spiritual reality into perceivable manifestation and can develop a healing effect. Everyone has certainly experienced the manifold effects of music on their mind, soul and body. Even in ancient times (the earliest documents date back to the Sumerian period) music was used as a healing power. Its therapeutic efficacy has meanwhile been documented in numerous studies (see, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Four kinds of art therapy are used in Anthroposophic Medicine:

  • therapeutic sculpture
  • painting therapy
  • music therapy
  • therapeutic speech

The therapeutic indication results from the activity of the constituent members of the fourfold human being determined by the diagnosis. Accordingly, we distinguish between a physical (somatic) indication for art therapy and its effect on soul and spirit. For example, allergic, “outflowing” diseases call for forming elements in art therapy. In cases of mental pain and suffering, art is used in another, more freeing way to strengthen and heal the soul. Finally, art can help to give meaning and orientation and develop new perspectives through artistic creativity. Anthroposophic art therapy is thus used for numerous somatic and psychosomatic illnesses and it is applied both in pediatrics and adult medicine.

Bibliography

  1. Krüerke D, Simões-Wüst AP, Kaufmann C, Frank M, Faldey A, Heusser P, von Bonin D. Can speech-guided breathing influence cardiovascular regulation and mood perception in hypertensive patients? Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2018; 24(3):254–261.
  2. von Bonin D, Klein SD, Würker J, Streit E, Avianus O, Grah C, Salomon J, Wolf U. Speech-guided breathing retraining in asthma: a randomised controlled crossover trial in real-life outpatient settings. Trials 2018; 19:333.[Crossref]
  3. Hamre HJ, Kiene H, Ziegler R, Tröger W, Meinecke C, Schnürer C, Vögler H, Glockmann A, Kienle GS. Overview of the publications from the Anthroposophic Medicine Outcomes Study (AMOS): A whole system evaluation study. Global Advances in Health and Medicine 2014;3(1):54–70.[Crossref]
  4. Hamre HJ, Witt CM, Kienle GS, Glockmann A, Ziegler R, Willich SN, Kiene H. Anthroposophic therapy for anxiety disorders: a two-year prospective cohort study in routine outpatient settings. Clinical Medicine: Psychiatry 2009;2:17–31.
  5. Hamre HJ, Witt CM, Glockmann A, Ziegler R, Willich SN, Kiene H. Anthroposophische Kunsttherapie bei chronischen Erkrankungen: eine vierjährige prospektive Kohortenstudie. Der Merkurstab 2009;62(2):113–121.

Research news

Mistletoe therapy in addition to standard immunotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer indicates improved survival rates 
Immunotherapy with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has significantly improved the survival rates of patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results of a real-world data study (RWD) investigating the addition of Viscum album L. (VA) to chemotherapy have shown an association with improved survival in patients with NSCLC - regardless of age, degree of metastasis, performance status, lifestyle or oncological treatment. The mechanisms may include synergistic modulations of the immune response by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and VA. However, the results should be taken with caution due to the observational and non-randomised study design. The study has been published open access in Cancers: 
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16081609.


Further information on Anthroposophic Medicine