Presenter: |
Shelle Goldstein, MSW |
Moderator: |
Jane Rubin, PhD |
Discussant: |
Janice P. Sanchez, MSW |
Self Psychology Page | 22nd Conference Program
Summary
The paradigm shift toward understanding subjectivity in terms of its contextual embeddedness has provided a conceptual bridge to the spiritual dimension. This paper explores experiences of the sacred and the realm of Religion and Spirituality through the multiple lenses of Selfobject, Intersubjective and Attachment theories.
The paper illustrates the ways the spiritual realm can function as a symbolic world, how it can fulfill Kohut’s formulations for the three basic selfobject needs and how this domain impacts the sense of continuity, integration and meaning.
Experiences of the sacred are further viewed in terms of an attachment relationship which may provide a secure base and facilitate the development of self-reflective awareness. Creating a space in which patients may come to experience their affects from a broader perspective may further lead to the gradual dissolution of structures of pathological accommodation.
Finally, the paper addresses the intersubjective dimension. It suggests that an analytic attitude of respect and interest in understanding the unique meanings of patients’ experiences of the sacred creates a context in which patients may speak more openly of these experiences and in turn use them as vehicles of transformation.