The Unconscious Body Image

The Unconscious Body Image espouses a completely original view of the links between physical and psychic development, providing fresh insight into our understanding of psychosomatic symptoms and child development. Françoise Dolto describes how unconsciously held mental images of the body and its functioning impact upon the subject’s feelings and ideas of themself, and conversely how emotions and ideas impact upon the body’s functioning by way of these unconscious images. The Unconscious Body Image also presents Dolto’s view of the development of mind in relation to unconscious body images generated at each stage of development (oral, anal, genital, latency and puberty), and ideas about psychic castration at each developmental stage and children’s socialisation, filling a significant gap in psychoanalytic understanding of the mental integration of social law. This book will be a key text for psychoanalysts in practice and in training, particularly those working with children, psychoanalytic psychotherapists and psychodynamic practitioners in the social sciences, childcare and education.

Have you ever been praised or criticized about your body or any part of it? With this question, participants of a research study were invited to share their experiences of body judgment. As participants described, the body is a carrier of messages and the source of judgmental experiences. Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Gaze, Body Image, Shame, Judgment and Maternal Function: Being and Belonging offers an insightful and engaging psychoanalytical account of experiences of shame and fear of rejection, explained through clinical vignettes and research participants’ scripts. Exploring the findings from the individual and social standpoints, as well as the cultural and historical influences, Dr. Roth proposes that judgements are experienced as attacks, with the meaning attributed to the criticized body part, affecting the sense of self and forming a central point of the participants’ identity trauma. Furthermore, that as guilt requires reparative action, shame requires an act of sacrifice to align the individual to the ideal and to preserve the matrix of belonging, thus explaining the participants’ use of alienation as a defense. This book will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, as well as scholars of culture and religion. Giving a brief introduction to psychoanalytic concepts, with a full glossary, it will also appeal to the non-psychoanalytic reader, interested in body image and how related perceptions and judgements can affect our own sense of Being and Belonging.

First published in 1986. This is volume 2 of Development and Structure o f the Body Image. Volume 1 presents a thorough review and analysis of the body image literature from 1969. The present volume details, in the main, research concerned with testing and evaluating a number of major theoretical concepts relating to body image which I have developed. The following major topics are considered: organization of the body image boundary; assignment of meaning to specific body areas; general body awareness; and distortions in body perception. The bibliography for all the work described in the two volumes is contained in this second volume.

In the evaluation of aviators, and particularly student aviators, another source of anxiety -- unrelated to fears of death and mutilation, etc. -- has become evident. This is in the sphere of psychomotor adaption to the process of flying an airplane. In this report, a theoretical formulation of the process of learning to fly is presented in terms of the aviator's psychomotor function, body image, and ability to orient himself in space. Clinical and experimental evidence are presented to validate these theories. (Author).

The first volume in an eye-opening series on the Diamond Mind—a deep understanding of human nature—that combines Freudian psychology with Eastern philosophy and spirituality In this book, the founder of the Diamond Approach brings together concepts and experiences drawn from contemporary object relations theory, Freudian-based ego psychology, case studies from his own spiritual practice, and teachings from the highest levels of Buddhist and other Eastern practices. He challenges us to look not only at the personality and the content of the mind, but also at the underlying nature of the mind itself.

The standard reference for practitioners, researchers, and students, this acclaimed work brings together internationally recognized experts from diverse mental health, medical, and allied health care disciplines. Contributors review established and emerging theories and findings; probe questions of culture, gender, health, and disorder; and present evidence-based assessment, treatment, and prevention approaches for the full range of body image concerns. Capturing the richness and complexity of the field in a readily accessible format, each of the 53 concise chapters concludes with an informative annotated bibliography. New to This Edition *Addresses the most urgent current questions in the field.*Reflects significant advances in key areas: assessment, body image in boys and men, obesity, illness-related body image issues, and cross-cultural research. *Conceptual Foundations section now incorporates evolutionary, genetic, and positive psychology perspectives. *Increased coverage of prevention.

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.