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I Am Not My Body, This Is Not My Body

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Abstract

This paper suggests that during severe and prolonged traumatic experiences such as trauma type II, one may develop disownership toward the entire body. In this situation one’s body becomes a pure object and as such an integral part of the hostile environment. This article applies Merleau-Ponty’s approach to perception in order to improve our understanding of this process.

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Notes

  1. I deeply thank Prof. Yemima Ben-Menahem for this insight. In a sense, this paper continues my dialogue with her.

  2. Almost none of the papers discussing "trauma" and "PTSD" in connection with "phenomenology" (e.g., Carrion et al. 2002; Mellman et al. 1992; Tomb 1994) do not really adopt a phenomenological approach to trauma.

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  1. Neurobiology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100, Rehovot, Israel

    Yochai Ataria

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  1. Yochai Ataria
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Ataria, Y. I Am Not My Body, This Is Not My Body. Hum Stud 39, 217–229 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10746-015-9366-0

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