Vertigos. Climates of Philosophy

In this essay, I suggest that we are currently witnessing a mutation, which disrupts the mythical imaginary that had confined viruses, climate change, and atmospheric turbulences to an immutable background in the all-too-human narrative of the struggle against nature. I argue that the incapacity of translating this mutation in cultural and social terms, and the repression of this traumatic experience, are the cause of the perturbation that haunts our time. Disorientation pervades philosophy when the entire imaginary to which it had anchored its power to change the world seems to dissolve in the air, when what was silent and distant turns out to be vibrant, more familiar to us than any known proximity. Precisely for this reason, philosophy must rediscover its ability to inhabit times and spaces different from those oriented by the hegemony of capitalist progress, with its correlate of regular catastrophic emergencies and calculated risk. In this essay, I aim to present a perspective in which, instead of coming back straightforwardly ‘down to earth’, philosophy accepts inhabiting the fluctuating disorientation of its own time, itself populated by intermittent and uncertain opportunities of experiencing differently the past and the future—to encounter different relationships with the times that change.

Dynamics of the Transmission of Trauma through three Generations of Slovene Families

In this paper, we will present a study into the dynamics of the transmission of emotional traumatic in three families of victims of World War II and post-war communist oppression. This study is taken from a broader research project in which we investigated the experiences of nonclinical families that managed to survive through three generation, and in which post-traumatic growth is present, i. e. the ability to integrate traumatic experiences and provide greater security for future generations. The main focus will be on how emotional content is transmitted and transformed through generations and how to recognise it in various forms of behaviour, thinking and emotions, that appear in each of the generations. As we follow the transformation of traumatic content, we will also follow the the signs that show how traumatic content has integrated and begun to bring new, deeper emotional and mental insights. The emotional depth of the traumatic experience is what burdens the victim the most and slows down the dynamics of trauma processing. It appears in the form of symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome, insecurity and mistrust. This is found even in victims who have articulated the trauma sufficiently to rise above intimidation, managed to develop emotionally strong and connecting interpersonal relationships, maintain faith in the future, and form a coherent narrative of their traumatic past. The most interesting result of the research was that all three families, regardless of their diversity, are similar in term of processing the trauma. They were all able to speak openly about their traumatic experiences. In all three families there there was a great deal of discussion and searching for the social framework and personal truth of historical events, and the desire to present and describe the events that left such deep wounds in such a way that they would be clear, reworked and accessible to future generations as a document of the reality of some tragic and difficult times. Another source of trauma processing was religious faith, which allowed all the participants in this study to look at trauma and life more deeply, through relationships and connections between people and through a deeper understanding of human history embedded in a broader and deeper spiritual flow. Faith helped these families to find the courage to make decisions, to face life’s challenges, and to endure even the most severe of life's trials. A third source that facilitates the processing and integration of a traumatic experience is secure interpersonal relationships and compassionate parenting. Despite the fact that the whole question of parenting was demanding and full of challenges for our interviewees, the quality of parenting has been improved from generation to generation, and sincere affection for children and gratitude for children were present everywhere. The ability to follow the new generation and its initiatives while maintaining a connection to its roots is a dynamic that characterises all three families. There is also a lot of thinking and conscious effort in establishing and maintaining good marital relationships in these families. For the recovery from trauma this study shows the importance of talking about it and also talking about it in a safe relationship until it takes a form that is genuine and at the same time clear, coherent and thus suitable for the general public. That’s when the traumatic story ceases to be traumatizing and becomes a story of courage, perseverance, and truth.

The Psychosocial Burden of Families with Childhood Blood Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death for children, and leukemias are the most common pediatric cancer diagnoses in Chile. Childhood cancer is a traumatic experience and is associated with distress, pain, and other negative experiences for patients and their families. Thus, psychosocial costs represent a large part of the overall burden of cancer. This study examines psychosocial experiences in a sample of 90 families of children with blood-related cancer in Chile. We provide a global overview of the family experience, focusing on patients, caregivers, and siblings. We find that most families report a negative impact upon diagnosis; disruptions in family dynamics; a range of negative feelings of the patient, such as depression, discouragement, and irritability; and difficulty with social lives. Additionally, they report negative effects in the relationship between the siblings of the patient and their parents, and within their caregivers’ spouse/partner relationship, as well as a worsening of the economic condition of the primary caregiver. Furthermore, over half of the families in the sample had to move due to diagnosis and/or treatment. Promoting interventions that can help patients, siblings, and parents cope with distress and promote resilience and well-being are important.

Development of Avatar-Based Models and Tools for People With Intellectual Disabilities

The chapter is about development of consciousness, emotion, motivation, and level of aspiration, with the ways that people react to the psychological, traumatic experience caused by the gradual realization of incapacity. Some people with an intellectual disability are capable of learning together with normally-developing peers if provided with special support; however, there are others who will need an individual education program adapted to their capabilities. The most important focus in working with such students is the individual approach with regard to the specific mentality and health of each person. Such an approach can be achieved through instructional methods like avatar-based learning as the improved development of project-based learning.

Investigation of Factors Associated with Psychological Symptoms and Posttraumatic Growth in Women with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a traumatic experience. Those diagnosed with breast cancer often experience psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress. However, traumatic experiences do not only cause psychological symptoms, but also can lead to positive changes named as posttraumatic growth (PTG). In the present study, it was aimed to examine both the psychological symptom (depression, anxiety, stress) and PTG levels of women with breast cancer and the relationship of these variables with core beliefs challenge and rumination types. Sociodemographic and Cancer-Related Information Form, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Core Beliefs Inventory, and Event-Related Rumination Inventory were applied to 201 women with breast cancer diagnosis (Mage = 47.81, SD = 8.58), mediation relations of variables were examined with Process Macro. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the psychological symptom levels of the majority of the participants were low and their PTG levels were above medium. It was determined that core beliefs challenge positively predicted depression, anxiety, stress, and PTG. Intrusive rumination mediated the relationship between core beliefs challenge and depression, anxiety and stress; deliberate rumination mediated the relationship between core beliefs challenge and PTG. In other words, as the core belief challenge of the participants increase, both psychological symptom and PTG levels increase. In addition, those who use intrusive rumination experience more psychological symptom, and those who use deliberate rumination experience more PTG. The present study reveals the importance of cognitive processes in understanding the psychological symptoms and PTG in women with breast cancer. Keywords: Breast cancer, psychological symptom, posttraumatic growth, core belief challenge, event-related rumination

Witnessing Women: Quo Vadis, Cinema?

The essay explores how two women filmmakers, each deploying her unique vision through the perspective of a female protagonist, stage a transformative encounter with the act of bearing witness to genocide. The Diary of Diana B. (Dnevnik Diane Budisavljević, 2019, Croatia) directed by Dana Budisavljević, and Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020, Bosnia-Herzegovina), directed by Jasmila Žbanić, both compel us to bear witness to mass atrocities while avoiding the pitfalls of turning suffering into a spectacle, and by sidestepping the predictable cinematic conventions of redemption and closure, both formally and narratively. In my analysis of the films as anti-spectacles through the framework of Trinh T. Minh-ha’s ‘speaking nearby’, I argue for the concept of ‘women’s world cinema’, a kind of cinema that is made by women, speaks to women’s experiences, and/or addresses the spectator as female while also speaking nearby instead of about its subjects in ways that eschew conventional spectatorial alignments and co-optations of traumatic experience.

Birthplaces of Our Fear: Reception of Yuri Dud’s Documentary “Kolyma” in Social Media

The article examines reception of the online documentary "Kolyma — the birthplace of our fear" (produced by journalist Yuri Dud in 2019) in social networks. In their comments, internet users regard other topics along with the Soviet repressions, to which the film is dedicated. They discuss the traumatic experience of the recent past, namely the late Soviet period, the collapse of the USSR, the 1990s, and contemporary problems. As a result of analysis of YouTube comments, we identify two trauma narratives. The first narrative is based on the idea of violation of civil human rights, the second focuses on the violation of socio-economic rights. Different topics appear in comments and posts on social media depending on which rights viewers consider key and which they pay more attention to when watching the documentary. In the case of civil rights, these include contemporary political repressions in Russia, names of famous political prisoners, references to recent protests. In the case of socio-economic rights, these topics include privatization, oligarchs, economic reforms, inequality. Those users who comment about the violation of socio-economic rights generally express a positive attitude towards the USSR and a critical attitude towards capitalism. Topics such as corruption or the problems of the penitentiary system in Russia are “inbetween” — they are important symbols in both narratives. The study clarifies how the cultural trauma narrative of the recent past and present-day events is formed. We also demonstrate how this process takes place on social media, and how social media enables participation of ordinary users and not only public figures.

Moving Toward and Through Trauma: Participant Experiences of Multi-Modal Motion-Assisted Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation (3MDR)

Introduction: Military members and Veterans are at risk of developing combat-related, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (TR-PTSD) and moral injury (MI). Conventional trauma-focused therapies (TFTs) have shown limited success. Novel interventions including Multi-modal Motion-assisted Memory Desensitization and Reconsolidation therapy (3MDR) may prove successful in treating TR-PTSD.Objective: To qualitatively study the experiences of Canadian military members and Veterans with TR-PTSD who received the 3MDR intervention.Methods: This study explored qualitative data from a larger mixed-method waitlist control trial testing the efficacy of 3MDR in military members and veterans. Qualitative data were recorded and collected from 3MDR sessions, session debriefings and follow-up interviews up to 6 months post-intervention; the data were then thematically analyzed.Results: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) the participants' experiences with 3MDR; (2) perceived outcomes of 3MDR; and (3) keys to successful 3MDR treatment. Participants expressed that 3MDR provided an immersive environment, active engagement and empowerment. The role of the therapist as a coach and “fireteam partner” supports the participants' control over their therapy. The multi-modal nature of 3MDR, combining treadmill-walking toward self-selected trauma imagery with components of multiple conventional TFTs, was key to helping participants engage with and attribute new meaning to the memory of the traumatic experience.Discussion: Preliminary thematic analysis of participant experiences of 3MDR indicate that 3MDR has potential as an effective intervention for combat-related TR-PTSD, with significant functional, well-being and relational improvements reported post-intervention.Conclusion: Military members and Veterans are at risk of developing TR-PTSD, with worse outcomes than in civilians. Further research is needed into 3MDR and its use with other trauma-affected populations.