On Violations of Human Rights by the Communist Regime in Poland

During the communist regime, the Polish judicial apparatus was construed as a tool to liquidate the opposition. Many people were killed, imprisoned, tortured, dispossessed, and their families persecuted and condemned to lives of abject poverty. After the fall of communism, the perpetrators of these atrocities were not confronted with their crimes and continued to function surreptitiously. Their shame and guilt have been suppressed, while the wrongs suffered by the victims have not been remedied, and thus continue to hang over the nation like the Sword of Damocles. The unexpunged culpability and corrupted conscience inherited by their descendants continue to foment social resentments. The aim of the article is to suggest the approach to restoring social equilibrium taking as the premise that the legacy of historical violence must be remedied, and the wrongs must be rectified a priori. The scientific methods used in the article are restitution, restoration, reconciliation, and mediation. The sense of social and individual justice is at the core of humanity. Where this is lacking, social unrest arises and spills over with violence. The crimes of the communist regime must be conceded to prevent an impending revolution. Compassion toward the suffering can pave the way to forgiveness, and through that, to reconciliation.

Verbal Disclosure and Mental Health Among Gay Latino and Gay White Men

We examined the relationship between verbal disclosure of sexual orientation and mental health among gay Latino and gay White men. In Study 1, we recruited 164 gay Latino ( n = 81) and gay White ( n = 83) men via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Participants completed measures assessing the degree to which they verbally disclosed their gay identity to others, as well as their depression and anxiety symptoms. Increased verbal disclosure predicted better mental health among gay White men only; no statistically significant relationships emerged among gay Latinos. In Study 2, we recruited 281 gay Latino ( n = 130) and White ( n = 151) men via MTurk, in which feelings of shame and guilt independently mediated the relationship between verbal disclosure and mental health. Among gay White men, increased verbal disclosure predicted less shame and guilt, which predicted better mental health. These relationships did not emerge for gay Latinos.

A Research Paradigm to Investigate Event-Related Shame and Guilt: Preliminary Findings

Our aim was to study effects of different psychotherapeutic treatment components on event-related emotions and psychological symptoms. In this pilot study, we wanted to evaluate if our audiotaped memory retrieval task (MRT) is able to elicit event-related emotions. Also, we made a first attempt to compare the effects of two standardized mini-interventions based on IRRT and PE on event-related shame and guilt, general distress and affective state.

The “common” experience of voice-hearing and its relationship with shame and guilt: a systematic review

Background Despite Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVHs) have been long associated with mental illness, they represent a common experience also in the non-clinical population, yet do not exhibit distress or need for care. Objectives This paper aims to provide a systematic review of studies that investigated the relationship between auditory hallucinations, shame, and guilt in people without relevant signs of psychiatric issues. Methods We searched studies reporting information about voices characteristics, the relationship between voices and hearers, hearer's reactions, and beliefs (1946-2021) and those that explored the differences between “patients” and “non-patients”, paying peculiar attention to shame and guilt issues. Included papers were evaluated for risk of bias. Results Eleven studies that explored the relationship between AVHs, shame and guilt, were extracted. Phenomenological, pragmatic, as well as neuropsychological features of hearing voices in non-clinical populations, allowed us to note a dynamic relationship and the constellation of subjective experiences that can occur. The role of guilt was characterized by few studies and mixed results, while shame was mainly common. Conclusions Due to the high heterogeneity detected and the scarce sources available, further studies should focus on both the aetiology and the bidirectional relationship between hearing voices, shame, and guilt in non-clinical people. This might favour the development and implication of different treatments considering emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal sensitivity on the other people.

Shame – a forgotten emotion: psychopathology, neurobiology, and therapy of shame in eating disorders

The paper focuses on shame in the context of eating disorders. As a common emotion occurring in various spheres of human life, shame is of particular importance in the understanding and treatment of eating disorders as it is one of the key factors in their development and sustenance. There is scientific evidence that individuals with eating disorders experience higher levels of shame and guilt compared to those with other clinical diagnoses, which distinguishes eating disorders from other psychopathologies. Therefore, we present the mechanisms underlying the emotion of shame and its relationship with eating disorders, along with selected therapeutic strategies for overcoming shame. This paper also presents the research on neural correlates of shame and their relationship with the development and sustenance of a disturbed body image, which is one of the key psychopathological aspects of eating disorders. We also discuss the role of work on the patient’s shame in successful therapeutic processes, as well as the possible use of neuroscience in understanding and treating patients experiencing this emotion. Furthermore, we attempted to explain the concept of shame and its possible classification in the context of selected psychological theories. The paper also refers to the concepts of healthy and toxic shame, which are strongly associated with developing a specific type of personality and coping strategies in social relationships, and which influence self-esteem.

Ælfric’s Expressions for Shame and Guilt: A Study in Intra-Writer Conceptual Variation

This research focuses on the analysis of onomasiological variation in Old English texts written by Ælfric; more specifically, I am interested in the study of the different motifs that shape the linguistic expressions of shame and guilt used by this Anglo-Saxon monk across different textual genres. Through the fine-grained analysis of the whole set of shame and guilt expressions recorded in the entire corpus of Ælfrician texts, a network of literal and figurative conceptualizations for each emotion is proposed here. Based on this network, I have reconstructed and analysed patterns of conceptual variation in Ælfric’s English in order to show the existing tension between literal, metonymic and metaphoric expressions for these two emotions. As shall be seen here, the introduction in Anglo-Saxon England of Augustinian psychology by Ælfric and other highly educated authors favoured (i) the progressive neglect of the Germanic concept of shame and guilt as instruments of social control, (ii) the dissemination of new shame-related values, and (iii) the growing use of a new set of embodied conceptualizations for the two emotions under scrutiny here, most of which have become common figurative expressions of shame and guilt in later varieties of English. The new expressions (e.g., SHAME IS SOMETHING COVERING A PERSON, GUILT IS A BURDEN) illustrate the shift towards a progressive embodiment of the new emotional standards brought by Christianization. According to these standards, rather than an external judgment or reproach, shame and guilt involve a negative evaluation of oneself.

The Lumumba Commission (1999-2002): Shame, Guilt, and the Post-Imperial Self

This article aims to explore the process of colonial redress from the theoretical scope of ontological security. In this theory, shame denotes a challenge to the consistency of state self-narratives, compelling the state to actions that reaffirm its sense of self. However, other works on ontological security argue that post-imperial states are more likely to experience guilt than shame because of their historical connection to international society. By juxtaposing shame and guilt as characteristic of the process of colonial redress, this article gives insight into the challenges, opportunities, and constraints of colonial redress. Empirically, the article discusses parliamentary debates during the Lumumba Commission (1999-2002), a significant moment in Belgium’s struggle with its imperial legacy. To adequately trace the anxieties and narrative changes that ontological insecurity implies, this case-study is approached using a narrative and interpretative sentiment analysis. The analysis indicates that Belgian MPs deployed a comedic narrative, sided by discourses of serenity, objectivity, and guilt. This particular narrative countered Belgium’s anxiety, facilitated an apology, and restated its self-identity. Based on these findings, the article concludes that the conceptual borderline between shame and guilt is less distinct than is assumed in the literature and suggests that further research is needed into the relationship between narratives and emotions.

Families’ Experiences of Suicide Victims in South Korea: A Phenomenological Study

Background: When a family commits suicide, family members experience feelings of hurt, denial, shock and anger, resentment, shame, and guilt. If left untreated, they become physically and psychologically vulnerable and the risk of suicidal ideation is high, so clinical intervention in the survivors of suicide is required. This study aimed to explore the experiences of families of suicide victims in South Korea.Methods: This research was designed to a qualitative phenomenological study conducted by using Colaizzi’s methods. Participants were 7 bereaved families living in Changwon City, South Korea. Data were collected through in‐depth and individual interviews with participants from June to December 2018.Results: A total of 25 meaning units, 11 theme clusters, and 5 themes emerged. The 5 themes of south Korean bereaved families’ experience were: shock and confusion, pain of loss, disconnection interpersonal relationships, reality wanting to give up, and life to live. Conclusion: The bereaved families are at high risk of suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, so active individual professional counseling should be provided for them.