Posted by psych chat on September 15, 2009, at 18:46:40
In reply to Re: 'treatment resistant depression' » psych chat, posted by SLS on September 15, 2009, at 15:57:34
"Do you have any data to confirm that it is indeed a majority of people who never really experience the here-and-now?"
That's a good question, but probably one I can't answer. I thought the author did an excellent job at articulating 'why' we don't ever exclusively experience the here-and-now, but as far as providing specific data....I don't know if that's even possible.
Maybe it's like this: We could say most of us recognize when we experience pleasure, and can identify with experiencing that feeling, regardless of how it is defined. Yet, is there any data that confirms the majority of people know they can identify with the experience of pleasure? But ask anyone you know if they recognize they are feeling pleasure when, for example, they are getting a body massage? Not that body massages are pleasurable to everyone, but just an example.
Sigismund's post triggered a thought; maybe it's more like this: If we have an urge to pee, most of us go to the toilet without thinking about it. This is because someone long ago taught us this behavior. Of course, when we have those urges, we don't remember or identify with being taught that we are supposed to use a toilet. It doesn't cross our mind, but it's automatic. This behavior is ingrained in our unconsciousness.
I tend to agree with the author that most of our behaviors and relationship dynamics are influenced by our past. Past emotions, experiences, accrued knowledge, etc., influence most of what we do, but we are not always aware of the link. Psychoanalysis helped me identify how unconscious motives and influences affect my here-and-now.
For me, unconscious memories and emotions entering my consciousness 'proves' that much of my behavior/thoughts/emotion is based upon or are influenced by the past rather than merely reacting to the here-and-now. I just can't see how it can be avoided unless I had the ability to erase memories from my past.
Maybe there is no 'data' because we can't really measure the link between the here-and-now and past or quantify the unconsciousness because it's intangible and is unique to every individual.
poster:psych chat
thread:916286
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090912/msgs/917269.html