J.R.R.Tolkien: Cognitive Behavioral Therapist?
As a psychologist, when I read J.R.R.Tolkien, I find something most others do not: a legendarium in which the core principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are at work. For me, Tolkien’s masterworks are brilliant demonstrations of the power of rational thinking. I believe that Tolkien’s writing’s on Middle-earth showcase a clear set of beliefs. If we combine these beliefs with the methods of CBT, I am confident they can help Tolkien’s readers live more wisely, morally, and effectively. In this series, I will attempt to clarify and outline these beliefs, making them easier to put into practice.
I am aware of the absurdity of the question posed in my title. The simple answer is: “What are you daft? Of course, Tolkien was not a Cognitive Behavioral therapist! He was not any kind of therapist, let alone one who used a treatment modality that would not have been formulated until the last decade of his life!” Nevertheless, there is a confluence of major themes that can be found in Tolkien’s writings and the foundations of CBT.
Tolkien’s built Middle-earth’s legends around his own beliefs and a philosophy of life that addressed the nature of morality and immorality. It contains, if only in an implied way, advice about how to live. In Middle-earth, some behaviors and beliefs are associated with heroism and goodness and others lead one to fall “under the sway of the shadow.” Psychotherapy may not deal as readily with the nature of good and evil as epic fantasy fiction, but it too provides guidance on which beliefs are helpful, and which are unhealthy.
Before I go forward with these comparisons, allow me to give an overview of what CBT is all about.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a family of psychotherapies, all of which share two fundamental ideas. The first idea is that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interrelated (each can influence the others). The second idea is that the best way to make changes in our messy jumbles of thoughts, feelings and behaviors (for example, if we want to stop feeling like soggy garbage) is to change the way we think. I said CBT is a family of psychotherapies because, from the start, there have been multiple distinct forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (not unlike the different schools of martial arts, but with less board breaking). The two primary forms of CBT are Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, created by Albert Ellis and Cognitive Therapy, created by Aaron T. Beck.
In this series, I’ll be focusing on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as it is the most philosophical form of CBT. REBT is arguably the original form of CBT, and it is the type of CBT I most often use in my own clinical practice. Albert Ellis’s central idea is that our self-defeating irrational beliefs are the source of disturbance. REBT also emphasizes the way our beliefs can create either healthy or unhealthy negative emotions in response to the events of our life.
So, what does Tolkien’s work have to do with this type of psychotherapy? I could make an argument about its point of origin — that Tolkien’s Catholic theology is largely compatible with the Stoic philosophy that underpins CBT. But maybe just take my word on that. More important is the fact hat CBT and Tolkien’s work share an emphasis on the power of language and that there are great similarities in the prescriptive nature of Tolkien’s themes and the beliefs outlined by REBT.
Underlying Mechanism
The writings of Tolkien and CBT share a similarity in the underlying mechanism through which meaning is conveyed: language. Even when creating a fantasy world, Tolkien functioned as a philologist (one who studies the historical origin of words). For him, words and language are of critical importance. The words one chooses matter because the words themselves are rich with detail and nuanced meaning. The words, such as the name of a river, the lyrics of a song, or the inscription on an ancient door are like miniature stories unto themselves. Language, therefore, is intimately bound up with the tales that Tolkien is telling. In CBT, language is crucially important as well. Let’s explore that idea now.
In CBT, we believe that the words we use, even in the privacy of our own mind, have an effect that is profound on our own internal universe. Our thoughts and beliefs become a story we weave around the happenings of our life, and these stories change our inner world. Healthy emotions and behaviors can result from improving thoughts and beliefs. The goal, for example, may be to reduce anxiety — a change in an emotional state. To do so, a CBT therapist might recommend changing the thoughts a person has about feared situations, about the capacity of the self, or about the nature of anxiety (changes to behavior might also be prescribed as these may strengthen the new beliefs). New thoughts are carefully formulated with intentional language. If we think differently, we will feel differently.
The crux of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is that emotions are largely created in reaction to our thoughts and beliefs. Our emotions result from what we tell ourselves about the situation we find our self in. It is not the situation (A) that causes our emotions. Rather, our emotions © are caused by our evaluation of the situation (B). This is an ancient insight into the human condition and has its roots in the venerable philosophy of Stoicism. Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher who lived between 55 and 135 CE, said: “Men are not disturbed by things, but by the view which they take of them.” This view might be quite surprising to you. After all, common sense tells us that situations cause emotions (A mistaken belief that ‘A’ causes ‘C’). In everyday language, we might say:
“When I saw the parking ticket, I was furious.”
“I got angry because she hung up on me.”
“Winning the contest made me so happy!”
“He really has a way of annoying me.”
All these statements make the same mistake — describing an event (A) as causing an emotional consequence ©. The same event, however, would produce different reactions for different people because of their different beliefs (B). For example, let’s assume that three very similar men all go through a equivalent kind of romantic breakup. One man might think, “I will never find love again!” and subsequently feel depressed. Another might think, “At least now I get to enjoy being single!” and then feel happy. A third man might think, “This is quite sad. I have really grown attached to her, but if she no longer wants to be with me, I guess I will have to accept that. In time, I will look for someone more suited to me.” This man might feel sad but not depressed. In this example, you can see that each man’s outlook determines his emotion (B causes C), rather than the breakup itself.
In CBT then, language (especially the precise wording we use to formulate our beliefs) is crucial for determining our emotional reality. Tolkien would, I think, approve of this idea. When Eä, Tolkien’s universe is created, its reality comes about through song — the Valar are literally singing to create the world according to Ilúvatar’s (Tolkien’s stand-in for the monotheistic creator) divine plan. Language is the foundation of this fictional universe. Language is almost sacred in its power to shape destiny. Even the stones, trees, and animals in Tolkien’s world seem to be participants in the exchange of language.
Consequently, in Tolkien’s world, a misuse of language is a source of evil. Vows spoken in haste can prove disastrous. For example, an entire kingdom is doomed to live in a state of undeath as a result of a broken oath. In the Fellowship of the Ring, we also see Strider scold the hobbits for the casual use of the phrase “I shall become a wraith” (“Don’t speak of such things!”). Words in this world clearly can pose a danger, but the danger is not of an objective kind. Wraiths do not pop out of the shadows just because they are mentioned. Strider is warning the Hobbits about a different kind of danger — a psychological danger. Tolkien makes clear that the greatest danger is the effect of the darkness on our mind, and that darkness can be the result of ill-spoken words and the beliefs that they represent.
The clearest example of this is Fëanor. Fëanor is a central character in the Silmarillion who creates the three gems known as the Silmarils. These are the most sacred, coveted, and beautiful objects in the legendarium. When he realizes they have been stolen, Fëanor extracts a oath from his sons to recover the Silmarils by any means necessary. These ill-spoken words doom the world to misfortune and bloodshed for generations thereafter.
The character who most uses language in a proscriptive way in the Lord of the Rings is, of course, Gandalf. Gandalf is no mere wandering spellcaster. He is not just an old man who has learned sorcery from an ancient book or even an alumnus of a prestigious wizarding school. No, Gandalf is, himself, an intervention. The gods (The Valar) have sent him from the Blessed Realm of Valinor to aid and support the peoples of Middle-earth in their struggles against Sauron. And what does Gandalf give to Middle-earth? Essentially, his wisdom. Sure, he may throw a fiery pinecone now and then, but, for the most part, Gandalf’s power is conveyed in the words he uses. Gandalf is, more or less, a travelling psychotherapist. He even seems to have had a clinical internship when he was living with the Valar in the Blessed Realm. There, in his youth, he studied with the Valar named Nienna — who is associated with grief, pity, patience and hope. In the Silmarillion, we are told that he loved the elves and walked among them, and that “they did not know whence came the fair visions or promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts. In later days he was the friend of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and took pity on their sorrows; and those who listened to him awoke from despair and put away the imaginations of darkness” (From The Silmarillion: The Valaquenta: Of the Maiar). Sounds like an effective therapeutic intervention to me.
As a “therapist,” Gandalf’s “treatment” takes three different forms: He recommends healthy behaviors (such as prescribing Bilbo an adventure, or more specific exercises such as when he tells the newly rejuvenated Théoden that “Your fingers would remember their old strength better, if they grasped a sword-hilt” (The Two Towers). Other times he facilitates interpersonal connections that will be beneficial, such as when he enlists Sam to accompany Frodo or when he gathers the Rohirrim led by Erkenbrand to aid at Helms deep. Here Gandalf is employing two standard Cognitive Behavioral techniques: behavioral activation and facilitation of connection to social supports.
The third and most important component of Gandalf’s treatment plan for Middle-earth is decidedly more language-based. Gandalf’s intervention consists of imparting information that is true, if unwanted (such as when he reveals the history of the One Ring to Frodo), and instilling hope and courage in response to the fear that results from that information. In short, Gandalf inspires with wisdom. He essentially teaches people how to think. It is within his instructions that we can see most clearly Tolkien’s recommended beliefs. These beliefs are not magical. It is not as if he is Yoda telling Luke to believe that he can lift a starship out of the swamp with his mind. One cannot wish the One Ring or the Dark Lord away. No, the beliefs Gandalf imparts are psychological tools that will help Tolkien’s heroes avoid emotional pitfalls such as fear and despair and help them maintain courage and hope. As in CBT, healthy beliefs produce healthy mind states. In the world of Tolkien (as in our world) maintaining healthy psychological states in the face of challenges can make all the difference. In future articles I will we will explore these beliefs more deeply.
M.J.Miello is a psychologist and writer. His love for Tolkien has led to his creating Tolkienesque, a fiction novella about a real-world village that has more than a few things in common with Middle-earth.