The Four and PTSD

Psychological -Another Pass

 The Four Who Entered the Pardes and the Study of PTSD, Ira Bedzow, Faculty Member New York Medical College, Journal of Torah and Medicine of the Einstein College of Medicine Synagogue and the Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, Volume V, Pages 223-224

The four paradigms  that  we have identified are:

Ben Zoma- This type of person interprets events with a synchronic orientation. Previous  experience  and  knowledge does not inform  the present  or future.  This type of person  also continually reinterprets the past so that it conforms to currently-held opinions, so that  the person sees life as an undifferentiated totality. This is reflected in how the person  defines every­ thing  in his or her life by the present  moment.

Ben Azzai - This  type  of person  has a tendency towards  interpreting events  abstractly,  and  thus  may  take  ideas to a logical extreme.  However, while the person's ideology may be extreme, his behavior often contradicts that ideology, which he justifies through a sense of personal  exemption. This person also has little to no interest  in social involvement.

Aher- This type of person will form a conclusion based on  just one  experience  and  then  will search  for  evidence  to support his conclusion, without considering other  possibilities. Interpretation for this person serves merely as a justification for his personal view. This person's social involvement tends  to be antagonistic.

R. Akiva- This  type of person  interprets events  in a manner   that  is consistent with  his  traditional narrative,   and that  narrative  serves to provide  a positive outlook with a moderate conclusion. He also interprets experiences  in a diachronic manner  so that  events  are related  to one's  past and  serve as a guide for one's future.  His social involvement is conciliatory.