History of Autogenics
Autogenic Training, also known as Autogenic Therapy, was originally developed by the German Neuroscientist and Psychoanalyst Dr. Johannes Heinrich Schultz in the 1920’s and it was then
Johannes H. Schultz
introduced to the medical community. Schultz and his protégé, Dr. Wolfgang Luthe, joined forces over the next few decades, further developing Autogenics as a powerful neurological and psycho-physiological self-healing technique.
There have been over three thousand clinical studies showing Autogenic Training’s potency in healing disease, treating psychological disorders, managing stress, promoting general well-being and enhancing performance, resilience, decision making, problem solving and creative thinking.
Its applications are far reaching and as a result Autogenics is taught at hospitals, medical schools and universities around the world and is being eagerly embraced by organizations for their employees and Sports Psychologists in their training of elite sports men and women. For two decades now NASA has been training astronauts and the Military in Autogenic Feedback Training because of its proven psychological and physiological benefits.
Autogenic Training has been around now for almost 90 years and it has been popular across Europe, Russia and Japan for many decades and is now increasing in popularity in the UK, United States and Canada. Most specialists in Autogenic Training were taught by Dr. Schultz or Dr. Luthe in Germany and Canada during the 1960s until the mid-1990s and most of the research and
literature on Autogenics has been written in European languages, Russian and Japanese. As its profile expands in the English speaking world, there is more
Autogenic Therapy Book by Dr. Schultz and Dr. Luthe
university research into its applications and benefits. This in turn is increasing the demand for training and vice versa.
The pioneer of Autogenic Training in Australia, John Gibbons, Psychologist (Organisational, Health), began training in Autogenics in 1958. He taught his daughter Helen Gibbons, Psychologist (Clinical, Organisational, Health) in the mid-1970s when she was still a school student. Recognizing that Autogenics should be standing centre-stage here in Australia due to the profound mental, physical and performance benefits, Helen founded the Autogenic Training Institute in 2011 to make the benefits of Autogenics accessible to all Australians.
