Hi Adrian,
I've had similar struggles in writing about embodiment and individuals
diagnosed with anorexia nervosa - are they disembodied, differently
embodied, have a particularly extreme embodiment, are profoundly
embodied etc? My understanding is that you cannot speak of being
disembodied since it is all an experience or version of embodiment
I might be tempted to talk about it in terms of Western civilization
attacking or threatening the embodiment of self creating a
dis-embodiment of experience (I think the hyphen helps clarify something
of the use of the word, much like "dis-ease" is often used when
critiquing the medical model of mental "diseases").
Good luck - and if you find any way around the convoluted sentences feel
free to share them!!
Best Wishes
Claire
On 11/08/2011 14:40, Adrian Harris wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm working on a book chapter at the moment and have a question about
> terminology. Although 'embodiment' is an aspect of human subjectivity
> rather than a fact of physical reality, what does it mean to speak of
> being disembodied? Does it make sense to say, for example, “Western
> civilization creates a more disembodied self'? One can argue that we
> must be embodied to exist, in which case this needs to be phrased
> differently - something like: "[t]he experience the self has been
> essentially disembodied" (Burkitt, 'Bodies of Thought', 1999; 45).
>
> This does mean composing quite convoluted sentences, so I'm interested
> in how other people have tackled this.
>
> Cheers!
> Adrian
>
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