Abstract
This purpose of this paper is to provide an exploration of how one can affect the other to live further. The theoretical articulations of Carl Rogers and Eugene Gendlin are examined on the concept of presence; Gendlin’s terminologies of felt meaning and felt sense are examined; the understanding of the other is viewed from Gendlin’s articulation of crossing. Throughout this paper, the discussion of these person-centered and experiential concepts is staged on the interplay of the pre-reflexive and reflexive modes of consciousness. From these theoretical considerations and examples from Rogers’ and the author’s sessions, the paper concludes that explications from the felt sense of the other can inspire the other to live further.
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Acknowledgments
I thank Michael Lux for referring me to an article by Nagasawa, M. et al (2009) that shows that a dog’s gaze can increase the levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin in its owner. Physiological changes such as these can occur pre-reflexively, and can later be ‘explained’ by scientific findings.
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Ikemi, A. (2013). You Can Inspire Me to Live Further: Explicating Pre-reflexive Bridges to the Other. In: Cornelius-White, J., Motschnig-Pitrik, R., Lux, M. (eds) Interdisciplinary Handbook of the Person-Centered Approach. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7141-7_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7141-7_9
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