Member-only story
Naikan — the Japanese art of self-reflection
A self-actualisation journaling practise.
Introspection
Naikan is a structured self-reflection technique. Nai means ‘inside’ and kan means ‘looking’; therefore, Naikan translates to ‘inside looking’ or ‘introspection’. The technique could be described as the Japanese art of self-reflection, of seeing oneself with the mind’s eye. Grounded in Pure Land Buddhist tradition, it offers a clear and usable self-relation method to practising gratitude, and can serve as both a spiritual and a psychotherapeutic practice.
In short, Naikan is used to increase our awareness of the often unnoticed compassion that others have towards us, as well as the innate self-centeredness of our human nature. People doing Naikan ask themselves three questions in relation to a family member or some other person during particular times in their lives.
The Three Naikan Questions
The three Naikan self-reflection questions are:
- What did this person give to me?
- What did I return to this person?
- What troubles did I cause this person?
One Week Vs Daily
There are two types of Naikan: one-week and daily. The former is done continually for a…
