What is a Body? Or, Where Did Your Articles Come From? A response to Natasha Synesiou and Hugh Hetherington
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65828/b05k4270Keywords:
Merleau-Ponty, boundary, body psychotherapy, flesh, Gendlin, experiential-existential modelAbstract
This article is a brief response to the issues highlighted by Synesiou's article in this issue, and Hetherington's response to the article. Both contributors raise important points but especially the reflexive question of what is a body and where was it when they were writing their articles? Our moment-to-moment felt sense of 'body' brings us back to our first person experience, offering a touchstone for any explorations around 'body'. The question of the body in psychotherapy, or indeed life, is central to me. Therefore, when I saw the developing dialogue between Synesiou and Hetherington, I felt compelled to join in, uninvited.
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References
Gendlin, E.T. (in press) 'Implicit Precision. In Radman, Z. (ed.) Knowing Without Thinking: The Theory of the Background in Philosophy of Mind. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (forthcoming). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230368064.0015
Gendlin, E.T. (1987). 'Thinking After Distinctions'. Paper presented at the Heidelegger Conference, George Mason University, Dept. of Philosophy.
Madison, G. (2010) Focusing on Existence: Five facets of an experiential-existential model. Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapies, 9(3): 189-204.
Madison, G. & Gendlin E.T. (2011) Palpable existentialism: An interview with Eugene Gendlin. In Barnett, L. & Madison, G. (eds) Existential Therapy: Legacy, Vibrancy and Dialogue. Routledge: London. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203147658
