A Sense of “Being Human” and Twinship Experience

Abstract

In this article, I attempt to illustrate the ways in which a person experiences himself or herself as being human, including what it means to be treated as human by others. This study consists of a review of the literature in clinical ethics and psychoanalysis, and the psycho-biographical research of Heinz Kohut, who sought the meaning of being human while in the grip of a ten year struggle with lymphoma. The study shows that, from a self psychological perspective, the sense of being human can be described as a psychological state in which a person feels an emotional tie with others and makes sense of temporal continuity in his or her existence. Through careful examination of Kohut's words and his life, I conclude that a sense of being human can be organized through sharing with the other about how the person was born, and how he has been with the other, through an authentic and honest relationship with others, or through a hope of passing on something significant to the next generation. I argue that these human processes serve to connect a person's subjective experience from the past with the present, from the present to the future, and to the experience of others in the present.

Art Therapy Open Studio and Teen Identity Development: Helping Adolescents Recover from Mental Health Conditions

“…His integration into a male peer group was his choice and proceeded under his control and at his pace. Ethan saw aspects of his own personality in the male therapist, and therefore he felt that the male therapist truly understood him [ 29 ]. This twinship helped Ethan feel valued and boosted his self-esteem.…”

Kendi Olmanın Kendine Has Tarihçesi: Otantiklik Kavramının Kuramlar, Alanyazın Bulguları ve Psikoterapide İlerleyiş Süreci Çerçevesinde Gözden Geçirilmesi

“…İlerleyen yıllardaki çalışmalarında Kohut (1984) ayrıca kendilik gelişimi açısından kritik olan bir başka düzleme de ikizlik ihtiyacı kavramı ile vurgu yapmıştır. Kişinin anlamlı bir ötekine benzediğini fark etmesini ve "insanlardan bir insan (being human among other human beings)" olduğunu deneyimlemesini kendilik gelişimi açısından önemli görmüştür (Kohut, 1984;Togashi, 2014). Kohut'a (1984) göre ikizlik ihtiyacı karşılanmadığında kişi, kendilik gelişimi sırasında herhangi bir yere/kişiye/oluşuma aidiyet hissetmekte zorlanacaktır.…”