존재감을 위한 담아주기 기능에 대한 연구

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to emphasize the significance of the function of ‘containment’ to alleviate emotional pains. ‘Selfcognizance’ is the feeling of being alive, which is the basis for the development of mental health. Behind painful emotions, there is the impairment of ‘cognizance,’ so it is necessary to take care of, or ‘contain’, these feelings for recovery. This study analyzes ‘containment’ theory as advocated by Wilfred Bion, the influential British psychoanalyst. His theory ‘contained’/ ‘container’ is the process of thoroughly understanding emotions. He says this process occurs through a realistic, but at the same time, unconscious communication of projective trans-identification. The following points are the arguments of this study. First, unacceptable emotional experience should be changed into thinking by the Alpha-function and by engaging in reverie. Second, the experience that is contained during the encounter has to be introjected to contain the patient’s mental space. Third, since emotion is the process to inform oneself of self-identification, containing the self as it is, is important to bring forth ‘Self-cognizance.’ The important thing is that this process reciprocally influences the patient’s and the counselor’s unconscious mental space and real world. The pain of the patient can be said to be the symptom of the self being rejected to live one’s life as one wished. Thereby, pastoral counselors are recommended to focus on unconscious communication, which influences communities of faith and peoples’ lives, and also to pay attention to containing people who are suffering due to loss of self-cognizance. Finally, the study hopes to shed light on the importance of meaning, or living as ‘cognizant of oneself’ by focusing on the importance of the patients who are under pain, but hope to have their pain contained, and the counselor’s mental capability to render assistance.