Postmodern consciousness in psychotherapy

Abstract

Modern consciousness is a cultural and historical achievement in the West and a developmental task for each person now. Modern consciousness consists in the emancipation from the power of community, animistic nature and the unconscious. It is connected with neurosis and psychotherapy because it has to do with inner conflicts. But today there is an increasing number of cases which are characterized by dissociation and acting out, without the feeling of conflicts. Consciousness seems to be changing toward a new conception which might be called 'postmodern consciousness'. The essence of postmodern consciousness is shown by interpreting two dreams internally. The first dream from a case of depersonalization indicates that it is not necessary to be entangled with the object. There is a different kind of coniunctio in the mode of seeing. The second dream from a case of dissociative disorder shows a world which has neither traces of pre-modern cosmology-high and low, here and the beyond-nor modern interiority. There is only surface and self-reflection without content. The discussion of dreams suggests that postmodern consciousness is not to be understood as premature and pathological. It is therapeutically important to refine and deepen postmodern consciousness.

The Apparent Lack of Agency, Empathy, and Creativity Among Japanese Youth: Interpretations From Project Test Responses

“…Kawai (2006) pointed out that consciousness is changing toward a new one from modern consciousness which has to do with self-reflective viewpoint and inner conflict. This indication is based on the clinical fact that there is an increasing number of cases that are characterized by dissociation and acting out without the feeling of conflict.…”

Editorial for the Special Issue

“…There are increasing numbers of patients who have less and even no conflicts (such as dissociation, alexithymia, developmental disorder as Kawai (2006) pointed out). The conventional theory of personality and psychotherapy seems to be useless in front of these new types of patients.…”

Imagens da solidão na contemporaneidade: a contribuição do filme Her em uma perspectiva junguiana

“…A visão junguiana de Kawai (2006) sobre os tipos de consciência pré-moderna, moderna e pós-moderna contribuem para a compreensão psicológica da solidão que não precisa se inscrever ou se enquadrar linearmente em um tempo histórico, mas que permite observar que formas diferentes de consciência, originadas a partir das relações históricas e culturais, convivem em diferentes tempos e espaços pois passam a fazer parte de dimensão coletiva, consciente e inconsciente, da realidade.…”

“…De forma sucinta, a ideia de Kawai (2006) Nesta passagem, Adorno salienta que a cultura, aqui, não deve ser entendida como sagrada, ligada ao refinamento burguês do espírito, como a concepção alemã tradicionalmente definiu. Ela deve ser pensada por meio do seu duplo caráter: "remete à sociedade e intermedia esta e a semiformação" (p. 2).…”

“…Como apontado na literatura, a pós-modernidade é marcada por inconstâncias, incertezas, oportunidades, riscos e ambivalências (GIDDENS,2002;MAFESSOLLI, 2010;BAUMAN, 1999;KAWAI, 2006;ROESLER, 2008 Sabe-se que Samantha é um sistema programado para "envolver", que se utiliza de expressões clichês para isso e que não é outra alma legítima. Entretanto, Theodore permite-se vivenciar essa ilusão como uma realidade psicológica e, paralelamente, suas relações com as pessoas "reais" ganham mais destaque no filme.…”