Vol.23 of an Essay Series by Prof. Kawai Published in Minerva Correspondence: Kiwameru

An essay in the series “Kokoro’s Forefront and the Layers of History” by Prof. Toshio Kawai was published in the July 2018 Issue of Minerva Correspondence: Kiwameru.
This month’s essay discusses how psychological dissociation intersects with “the layers of history”. The previous two essays in this series were about the modern phenomenon of dissociation and dissociative symptoms. This month’s essay discusses the works of Haruki Murakami and how they meet with “the layers of kokoro’s history that have been repressed by modern consciousness”.
The essay touches on the Jungian proposition that a “loss of big linkages” is currently occurring due to the loss of linkages between this world and another world, i.e., between reality and transcendence. Prevalent in the Murakami’s writings, a motif of “individuals with dissociated consciousness being unable to connect with each other due to the fact that the world is dissociated.”
Prof. Kawai sugests that it was Jung’s intention to recover the lost linkages in modern times via imagery, and that it is important for us to relate ourselves to this dissociated world.

（Commentary in Japanese：Hisae Konakawa, Research Fellow）

Abstract
Kokoro’s forefront and the layers of history (Vol. 23)
“The intersection of dissociation and ‘the layers of history'”
Toshio Kawai

The previous month’s essay discussed how the modern phenomenon of dissociative disorder may be revival of the spirit possessions of pre-modern times. However, dissociation can also be seen as the repressed layers of kokoro’s history resurfacing due to a weakened sense of control. Haruki Murakami depicts the intersection of dissociation’s pre-modern and modern aspects of dissociation (or post-modernity) excellently.
(excerpt from the essay)

https://www.minervashobo.co.jp/book/b371954.html

2018/07/25