scholarly journals AVATAR Therapy: Pathopsychology of Transforming Relations with The “Voice” in Auditory Hallucinations

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-99
Author(s):  
O.A. Sagalakova ◽  
O.V. Zhirnova ◽  
D.V. Truevtsev

The paper examines the problem of the use of modern AVATAR therapy for auditory hallucinations (AH). There is a traditional asymmetry of the focus of interest in the study of AH with a bias towards the study of the final result of perception at the expense of comprehension of the process of AH development. The methodology of the cultural-activity approach and study of the patterns of the genesis of the “voices” in pathopsychology provide an adequate basis for understanding the nature of AH. Current intervention in psychosis is based on recognizing the role of psychological factors. АН are amplified in the state of anxiety, or in case of disturbed interpersonal relationships. AVATAR therapy provides the patient with psychological means of restoring deliberate mental activity, gaining control over one’s mental activity through its objectification, making the “voice” less malevolent and managing negative experiences. The method is based on a dialogue with an avatar, a visual digital image of the “voice”. It is designed in a virtual environment evoking a presence effect, which allows directed interaction with it in order to increase assertiveness. The experiments showed encouraging, but still debatable, results of the effectiveness of AVATAR therapy.

Literator ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Nel

Stagnation and transformation: The role of the clown in Paljas This article focuses on the central problem in the film Paljas, and the role of the clown in the process of transformation that is embedded in the story. The stagnation in interpersonal relationships and the accompanying problem of identity on a personal and social level constitute the problem underlying the narrative. The youngest child refuses to speak and dysfunctional family relationships and marital problems are evident. These problems can mainly be ascribed to the spatial isolation in which the characters find themselves. Attention is therefore paid to the way in which space functions in this film. The arrival of an absconded circus clown effects transformation and healing – especially by means of his picaresque performances and the notion of play. Subsequently this article concentrates on the characteristics of game/playing as a cultural activity and on its liberating value. The clown also has definite Biblical connotations as far as the aspects of betrayal and redemption are concerned. The process of transformation as depicted in this film is completed when the child starts speaking again, dysfunctional family relationships are restored and the family is reinstated in the community because of their restored social status.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 206
Author(s):  
Margaret Jacobs ◽  
Leo Van Biene

Patients with psychogenic voice disorder (PVD), a disorder of voice in the absence of identifiable pathology, present a particular challenge to clinicians. Although the voice can usually be restored by the use of speech therapy, recurrences can only be prevented by psychotherapeutic intervention. Psychological factors have been long recognized as playing a role in these disorders, but the nature of this contribution has been unclear. Various conceptual frameworks have been used to understand this disorder. While for much of the last century, “conversion” has been seen as the primary process that underpins this disorder, little attention has been paid to the role of dissociation in this regard. This paper explores the utility of viewing PVD through a lens of Self. In so doing, PVD can be considered as a symptomatic expression of a compromised sense of Self which has its genesis in relational trauma and maladaptative defensive maneuvers. These are underpinned by complex dissociative processes which operate largely outside of conscious awareness. A clinical vignette demonstrates the utility of treating this disorder with both speech therapy techniques and a specific mode of psychotherapy, the Conversational Model, which is focused on the fostering of a sense of Self.  It will be shown that this perspective not only provides a clear view of the genesis of thisdisorder, but also describes a pathway for effective treatment.


2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Koczanowicz

The Dialogical concept of consciousness in L.S. Vygotsky and G.H. Mead and its relevance for contemporary discussions on consciousness In my paper I show the relevance of cultural-activity theory for solving the puzzles of the concept of consciousness which encounter contemporary philosophy. I reconstruct the main categories of cultural-activity theory as developed by M.M. Bakhtin, L.S. Vygotsky, G.H. Mead, and J. Dewey. For the concept of consciousness the most important thing is that the phenomenon of human consciousness is consider to be an effect of intersection of language, social relations, and activity. Therefore consciousness cannot be reduced to merely sensual experience but it has to be treated as a complex process in which experience is converted into language expressions which in turn are used for establishing interpersonal relationships. Consciousness thus can be accounted for by its reference to objectivity of social relationships rather than to the world of physical or biological phenomena.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-476
Author(s):  
Alexander A. Ushkarev ◽  
Galina G. Gedovius ◽  
Tatyana V. Petrushina

The technological revolution of recent decades has already brought art to the broadest masses, and the unexpected intervention of the pandemic has significantly accelerated the process of migration of theatrical art to the virtual space, causing the corresponding dynamics of the audience. What is the theater audience in the era of digitalization and the spread of alternative forms of cultural consumption? How does the theater build its relationship with the audience today? In search of answers, we conducted a series of sociological surveys of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater’s audience — both at the theater’s performances and in the online community of its fans. The purpose of this phase of the study was to answer the fundamental questions: do spectators surveyed in the theater and those surveyed online represent the same audience; what are their main differences; and what are the drivers of their spectator behavior? The article presents the main results of a comparative analysis of two images of the Moscow Art Theatre’s audience based on a number of content parameters by two types of surveys, as well as the results of a regression analysis of the theater attendance. The study resulted in definition of the qualitative and behavioral differences between the theater visitors and the viewers surveyed online, and identification of the factors of theater attendance for both of the represented audience groups. The study made it possible to clarify the role of age and other socio-demographic parameters in cultural activity, as well as the influence of preferred forms of cultural consumption (live contacts or online views) on one’s attitude to art, motivation and spectator behavior. The conclusions of the study, despite the uniqueness of the object, reflect the general patterns of the modern art audience’s dynamics.


ORL ro ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-42
Author(s):  
Alexandra Boloș ◽  
Sebastian Cozma ◽  
Andreea Silvana Szalontay

Tinnitus is a common otologic symptom and probably the most troublesome. Tinnitus causes a number of physical and psychological consequences, that interfere with the quality of life of the patient. Many authors believe that the presence of tinnitus in children is a matter of lesser importance than in adults because it is met less frequently and would be a fleeting symptom, inoffensive for them (Graham, 1981). In addition, the prevalence of tinnitus during adolescence and even in young adults is increasing, possibly as a consequence of the increased ambient noise (Bulbul SF, Shargorodsky J). Various therapeutic approaches have generated different results, which led us to consider the role of psychological factors, hence the need to underline the particularities of this symptom in childhood.  


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Pellegrino ◽  
Curtis Luckett

Texture is a prominent feature in foods and consequently can be the reason a food is accepted or rejected. However, other sensory attributes, such as flavor/taste, aroma, sound and appearance may also lead to the rejection of food and motivations other than unpleasantness exist in unacceptance. To date, these motivations for food rejection have been studied in isolation and their relationships with psychological factors have not been tested. This study measured reasons people reject a food and probed into the specifics of texture rejection. A large U.S. sample (N=473) was asked to rate their motivations for rejecting a food, list foods that were disliked due to unpleasant sensory attributes, specify the unpleasant sensory attribute(s), and complete an assessment of general touch sensitivity. Results showed 94% of individuals reject a food due to its texture, a rate comparable to flavor-based rejection. Looking at the number of foods being rejected, flavor was the most common food attribute, followed by texture and then aroma. From a linguistic standpoint, aversive textures encompass a large vocabulary, larger than liked textures, and the same food may be rejected due to a single or combination of texture terms. Viscosity (e.g. slimy) and hardness (e.g. mushy) are the most common aversive texture types, but through cluster analysis subsets of individuals were identified that are more aversive to other textures. This study emphasizes the role of aversive textures in food rejection and provides many avenues for future investigations.


Author(s):  
Admink Admink

Обґрунтована необхідність розширення культурологічних досліджень арт-ринку з урахуванням останніх культурно-мистецьких тенденцій, а також його наукової концептуалізації у вітчизняній культурології. Враховуючи зростання ролі інформації, арт-ринок набуває нових ціннісно-смислових аспектів, а інтерес до цієї теми потребує культурологічного осмислення. Інформаційна функція арт-ринку актуалізується завдяки формуванню і розвитку інформаційно-технологічної революції, тому має вплив на соціокультурну діяльність митців та презентацію їхнього мистецтва. Функцію інформування на арт-ринку виконують організаційні структури, серед яких виділено виставки та бієнале. Проаналізовано проєкти українських митців на першій Київській міжнародній бієнале сучасного мистецтва ARSENALE 2012 та проєкт Ж/ Кадирової під час 58 Венеційської бієнале у 2019 р. Ключові слова: арт-ринок, інформаційна функція, інформаційне суспільство, бієнале, Мистецький Арсенал, Арсенале 2012, Венеційське бієнале 2019. The necessity of expanding the cultural researches of the art market, taking into account the latest cultural and art tendencies, is considered, as well as its scientific conceptualization in national cultural studies. The art market is gaining new valuable and semantic meanings, because of the growing role of information. So the interest in this topic requires cultural reflection. The information function of this market is actualized due to the formation and the development of the digital revolution, so it has an impact on the socio-cultural activity of the artists and the presentation of their art. Information structures in the art market are performed by organizational structures, among which exhibitions and biennials are highlighted. The projects of Ukrainian artists from the first Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art ARSENALE 2012 and the project of Zhanna Kadyrova from the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019 are analyzed. Key words: art market, informational function, information society, biennale, Mystetskyi Arsenal, ARSENALE 2012, Venice Biennale 2019.  


Author(s):  
Amanda Denes ◽  
Anuraj Dhillon ◽  
Ambyre L. P. Ponivas ◽  
Kara L. Winkler

Sexual communication is a pivotal part of interpersonal relationships; recent research reveals associations between sexual communication and various relational outcomes. Within the broad domain of sexual communication, current scholarship specifically addresses the role of postsex communication in relationships and its links to physiological and genetic markers. Given these advancements, the present chapter offers an overview of research linking physiology, hormones, and genes to communication after sexual activity. The chapter first presents reviews of two key hormones in sexual communication research: testosterone (T) and oxytocin (O). The oxytocin receptor gene and its link to social behavior broadly, and sexual behavior specifically, is also explored. The chapter then offers a review of several theories relevant to understanding the hormonal underpinnings of sexual communication, as well as future directions for research exploring sexual communication and physiology.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document