Biography divided laing r d self summary

  • In this summary of The Divided Self by Ronald D. Laing, you'll learn The Divided Self Key Idea #1: Most of us perceive our distinct personalities in early.
  • "The Divided Self" by Ronald D. Laing is a seminal work on the concept of madness and its societal implications.
  • In his first book, The Divided Self (1960), he theorized that ontological insecurity (insecurity about one's existence) prompts a defensive reaction.

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    The Divided Self Key Idea #1: Most of us perceive our distinct personalities in early childhood, leading to a safe sense of self.

    Imagine you’re a therapist and have just had a “eureka moment” about one of your patients. You excitedly share your analysis, and expect them to be ecstatic that someone finally understands them. Instead, they simply look at you aghast and refuse to meet with you again. What happened?

    When another person gets too close, ontologically insecure people fear they’ll be engulfed bygd them. Their insecurities are so severe that they can only feel like an autonomous personality if there are significant differences between themselves and others.

    When others get too close, ontologically insecure people feel that the distinctions between themselves and others dissolve to ingenting. Consider your hypothetical patient: If you are able to understand them, then they can’t be sure that they’re actually a discrete individ, separate from you. For them, it feels as if you ha

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    Chapter 4: The Embodied and Unembodied SelfOverview of Ontological Insecurity - The chapter discusses anxieties stemming from ontological insecurity, emphasizing how these fears manifest in individuals lacking a secure sense of self. - A secure person does not experience these anxieties as intensely, while an ontologically insecure person develops a divided relationship with themselves, often feeling a split between their mind and body. Contrasting the Embodied and Unembodied Self - Embodied Self: - Individuals with a strong sense of embodiment feel connected to their physical existence and perceive themselves as real and substantial. They view their bodies as the foundation of their identity, experiencing a sense of continuity and facing the existential threats that come with being in a body (e.g., injury, decay). - However, they can still suffer from internal divisions despite feeling embodied, facing anxieties related to their bodily desires and actions. - Unembodied Sel

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    Understanding Schizophrenia: R. D. Laing’s Idea of the Divided Self

    Contrary to the traditional way in which the mentally ill was seen as an Other to be decoded, objectively analysed and measured, the phenomenological framework which Laing lays out gives great importance to listening to the mentally ill. In this article, we will take the example of the schizoid type to showcase how R. D. Laing approached mental illness.

    The understanding of the schizoid person starts with the introduction of the notion of ontological insecurity. Laing asserts that whilst some people have a grounded sense of self which persists through their experiences, others might feel disconnected from themselves, disconnected from their body and unable to experience temporal continuity. People with ontological insecurity have their sense of identity threatened by events most of us would call mundane. This is how psychosis develops.

    R. D. Laing’s Categorization of Three Forms of Identity Loss

    R. D

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