A Selfobject in God-Talk

Hong, Riwha 한국실천신학회 2020 신학과 실천 Vol.0 No.70

In this study, I try to connect religion to psychology, while considering the relationship between the self and others. Heinz Kohut’s self psychology provides us with a very important clue with which we postulate the relationship between God and human beings at the juncture of religion and psychology. This is because Kohut emphasizes the relationship between the self and selfobjects in his self psychology, and because, in this context, this indispensable relationship of self/selfobjects can be applied to the relationship between God and human beings, by means of analogy of God as a selfobject. Selfobject functions, such as the mirroring selfobject function and the idealizing selfobject function, along with the alter-ego/twinship selfobject function, are essential not only for the child’s narcissistic needs but also for the maintenance of the cohesive self in one’s later life. Kohut demonstrates how basic the psychological unit of self/selfobjects is for psychic life, and how important the functions of selfobject are via empathy for the cohesive self in the lifelong narcissistic needs. The relationship between God and human beings is inevitable to weak and vulnerable human beings. Kohut recognizes a fundamental human need for the restoration of the fragmented human being before God via his concept of the Tragic Man. His concept of Tragic Man implies one of the bases of Christian theology, i.e., the human limitation and dilemma before God. I am not talking about the whole paradigm of Christian theology in the broad sense, but, specifically, about the psychological relationship between God and human beings. I believe that this relationship to God can be a basic presupposition of Christian theology, based on the analogy of Kohut’s theory, particularly of Kohut’s matrix of self/selfobjects. Through this method of analogy, I can see the attribution of Kohut’s self psychology, particularly of his theory of self/selfobjects, to religion especially in God-talk. Finally, we can function as selfobjects for others and we may serve one another as selfobjects while empowered by God’s empathic selfobject function.

A Possibility of Experience of Grace as Selfobject

Kim, Tai-Hyoung 한국실천신학회 2023 신학과 실천 Vol.- No.85

According to self psychology, selfobject is experienced as part of the self, and they are very important to develop healthy, cohesive self. A a child develops self in both ways(through grandiose self and idealized self), firstly by parent's empathic response. And if a child fails to get enough empathic response as selfobject from parents, his self become weak, or in worse, fragmented. So we cannot live without selfobject. Kohut says that the goal of cure is not to make autonomous self structure but build self ability to find appropriate selfobject and to use it, for stability and cohesiveness of self. Kohut also says that as an individual self, an organization can be a group self. In this vein, I'd like say that a church can be a self, also church life can supply empathic response to people who cannot have poorly empathic response from parents in early life, by the help of welcoming people, impressive services, soothing massages and bible studies. And I insist that God grant us the most profound and fundamental grace to develope cohesiveness of self, so we can experience grace as supreme empathic selfobject through maintaining, enhancing the relationship with God. I suggest pastors and pastoral counselors are to help people to experience grace as selfobject.

자기심리학의 기독상담적 비평과 통합가능성 조망: 하나님 자기대상과 영적으로 변형된 자기구조

안인숙,최민영,김은미,김용태 한국기독교상담심리학회 2014 한국기독교상담학회지 Vol.25 No.4

This study criticized the concepts of Self Psychology in the perspective of Christian counseling, and attempted to integrate Self Psychology and Christian counseling. Three research questions were explored related to the concepts of selfobject and self–structure: first, what aspects should be considered when one understands God as selfobject?; second, does the experience of God as selfobject differ from that of humans as selfobjects?; third, does the self–structure of a person show any difference when he or she experiences God as selfobject? The results of the study are as follows. First, human experience of God as selfobject is limited to certain attributes of God, especially not including God’s transcendence. Second, the concept of selfobject needs to be extended to ‘God–selfobject’ in integrating Self Psychology and Christian counseling. The role of ‘God–selfobject’ includes confrontation, education, training, and discipline as well as the role of selfobject viewed in Kohut’s theory. Third, experiencing God as selfobject helps a person to fully accept himself or herself as a contradictory, partial, and small being and transforms his or her self–structure. The transformed self–structure works on behalf of God and others as God’s agent. 본 논문은 Kohut의 자기심리학의 자기대상과 자기구조 개념을 기독상담적 관점에서 비평함으로써, 기독상담과 자기심리학의 통합을 시도하였다. 이를 위해 하나님을 자기대상으로 이해할 때 고려되어야 할 점이 무엇인가, 하나님 자기대상과 인간 자기대상은 차이가 있는가, 그리고 하나님을 자기대상으로 경험할 때 자기구조에 차이가 있는가에 대해 연구하였다. 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 하나님을 자기대상으로 경험한다는 것은 하나님의 속성 중 하나님의 내재성의 일부만 경험하여 내면화하게 됨을 의미하며, 하나님의 초월성은 포함되지 않는다. 둘째, 하나님 자기대상은 Kohut의 자기대상의 역할뿐만 아니라 사랑에 기초한 직면, 교육, 훈계 및 징계를 포함한다. 셋째, 하나님 자기대상을 경험할 때 인간은 죄인이면서도 의인인 모순적 존재이며, 부분적 존재이며, 작은 존재임을 깨닫고, 자기 사랑을 넘어서 하나님의 사랑과 타자 사랑을 향해 변화된 자기구조를 형성한다. 그러므로 기독상담자는 자기심리학을 상담 현장에 적용할 때 확장된 ‘하나님 자기대상’ 개념과 자기애적인 모습에서 하나님과 타인을 사랑하는 모습으로 발달해야 함을 알고 있어야 한다.

수치심에 대한 자기심리학적 이해와 목회적 돌봄

홍이화 ( Ri Wha Hong ) 한국목회상담학회 2010 목회와 상담 Vol.15 No.-

The purpose of the present paper is to propose the self-psychological approach to shame by examining Heinz Kohut`s frameworks on his understanding of shame as a self-conscious emotion and to probe its implications for pastoral care from the approach. Kohut`s psychoanalytic theory of the self provides excellent formulations for an understanding of the experience of shame, which emphasizes the whole self in relation to shame in the narcissistic development of the self. He believes that the narcissistic self is deeply conscious of itself as defective. He suggests that shame is situated in the development of the whole self in terms of its narcissistic needs, which must be met for the development of the cohesive self. Shame arises when the needs of the narcissistic self are not adequately responded to by selfobjects; it results when a selfobject is not empathically attuned and not mirroring a self appropriately. That is, the shame experience is dependent upon the dynamics of self-selfobject relationships. Kohut`s view of shame concerns one`s defects in the self with regard to selfobject functions. Defects in the self occur due to serious empathetic failure of the selfobjects, which result from the deficits of self structure in the narcissistic development of the self. In this vein, selfobject experiences are important throughout the entire course of life, as selfobject functions are critical to the development of the total self. Therefore, selfobject functions via the caretakers` empathetic responses are central for healing the experience of shame. Kohut`s formulations concerning shame in his self psychology, with emphasis on the selfobject`s empathetic resonance in self-selfojbect relationships, provide very helpful suggestions for a pastoral care for shame. That is, it is crucial for a pastoral care to build a pastoral healing relationship through empathetic selfobject functions of mirroring, being idealized, and twinship in the Christian community, which reflect mutual self-selfobject relationships with God.

중독의 자기 심리학적 이해와 중독 회복 환경의 자기대상 기능

백수현,이준석 한국정신분석학회 2019 精神分析 (Psychoanalysis) Vol.30 No.2

Addiction is characterized as uncontrolled and excessive use of addictive substance or behavior, and consequential functional impairment. Since the addict’s psychic structure, known as “self,” is defective and may jeopardize psychic functions, mere abstinence cannot be the ultimate therapeutic goal. Rather, it is crucial to facilitate the growth of the “self” through long-term continuous care in the addiction recovery environment. This article provides an overview of self-psychological perspectives of addiction, and proposes selfobject functions of the addiction recovery environment. From the perspective of self-psychology, addiction is perceived as ‘deficit of self’, and is one of the symptoms of narcissistic behavior disorder. Addictive substances or behavior, also known as addictive trigger mechanisms (ATMs), have served as mirroring and idealizing selfobjects, though ending in futile attempts. The addiction recovery environment, which needs to substitute ersatz selfobject functions of ATM, should 1) consist of predictable and consistent settings, as an idealizing selfobject, 2) reflect and reward appropriately, as addicts achieve abstinence and realistic goals, as a mirroring selfobject, and 3) consist of other addicts desiring to stop using addictive substances or aberrant behavior, and share goals of total abstinence and the growth of the self as a twin-ship/alter ego selfobject. Though it takes substantial time and much effort, optimal selfobject functions provided by the addiction recovery environment, would facilitate recovery as a continuous process of the growth of the mature self.

교회의 회중과 목회자의 심리적 관계 유형에 관한 목회적 돌봄 - 자기심리학의 3가지 욕구를 중심으로

오오현 한국실천신학회 2013 신학과 실천 Vol.0 No.34

코헛의 자기심리학은 정신분석을 받게 되는 대부분의 사람들의 정신병리 핵심이 자기결손(defective self)이라고 간주한다. 즉, 환자들의 자기는 약하고 조화롭지 않으며 파편화되기 쉬운 경향을 보인다는 것이다. 그리고 그러한 자기 결손의 원인은 어린 시절 자기-자기대상 관계에 문제가 있었기 때문이다. 다시 말하면 성장과정에서 자기대상으로 하여금 최적의 좌절을 경험하지 못하고 과도한 좌절을 경험한 사람들이다. 그 결과, 건강한 자기를 형성하지 못한 채 자기(self)의 성장이 멈춰지거나 왜곡된 상태가 된 것이다. 따라서 병리적 자기애적 자기를 가진 사람들은 평생 동안 자기의 구조적 결핍을 채워보려고 필사적으로 노력을 한다. 자기심리학의 이론의 틀 안에서 치유하고 돌볼 수 있는 가장 근본적인 방법은 바로 자기의 구조적 결핍을 메울 수 있도록 돕는 것으로 보고 있다. 그것은 목회적 돌봄의 관점에서 교회의 회중과 목회자가 갖는 거울 자기대상 욕구와 이상화 자기대상 욕구 혹은 쌍둥이 자기대상 욕구를 공감적으로 이해하고, 반응하여 자신들의 자존감을 회복하고 스스로 긴장을 잘 조절할 수 있는 능력을 회복하도록 돕는 것이다. 이는 자기대상과의 관계에서 자기대상 전이(selfobject transferences)를 형성하고, 자기대상으로서 적절하게 반응해 줄 때, 그들의 성장발달과정에서 받았던 상처가 다시 회복 되어 건강한 자기구조가 다시 새롭게 구축하도록 돕는 것이다. 그러므로 본 연구는 랜달(Robert L. Randall)이 이해하고 있는 코헛(Heinz Kohut)의 자기심리학의 3가지 자기대상 욕구를 중심으로 교회의 회중과 목회자의 심리적 관계유형에 관한 9가지의 관계역동적인 특성을 살펴보고 이에 따른 목회적 돌봄에 대해 고찰하고자 한다. Heinz Kohut's Self Psychology considers that mostly defective self is the psychopathological essence of people who get psychoanalysis. That is to say, patient's self seems easy to be weak, inharmonious and fragmented. And, the reason of such defective self is because in their childhood they had some troubles in self-selfobject relationship. In other word, while they were growing, they didn't experience optimal frustration but extremely hard frustration as selfobject. As a result, the state of self become distorted and stop growing without developing healthy self. Therefore people who have pathological narcissistic syndrome try their best to make up for their structural deficiency. The most basic way to heal and care them in the frame of Self Psychology is considered to help them fill their structural deficiency. That is to sympathetically understand and respond to their needs to be mirrored and idealized as selfobject which pastor and parish have in the point of pastoral care. And help them restore their confidence and possibility to control there strain themselves. This will develop selfobject transferences in selfobject, they will overcome hurt from their childhood and restruct healthy self. Therefore, in the focus of three selfobject needs in Heinz Kohut's Self Psychology, Robert L. Randall inquires into nine dynamic features about psychological relationship between pastor and parish at church and studies pastoral care in the accordance with these features.

일반논문 : Anthony Browne 그림책에 나타난 아이의 자기대상과의 관계 분석

이란 ( Ran Lee ),현은자 ( Eun Ja Hyun ) 한국문학교육학회 2014 문학교육학 Vol.44 No.-

이 연구의 목적은 앤소니 브라운 문학에 나타난 아이의 자기대상을 분석하는 것이다. 한 선행연구는 브라운 작품의 두드러진 특징이 아이의 소외였음을 밝힌 바 있다(안지성 외, 2011). 이 선행연구에 바탕을 두고 본 연구는 이처럼 브라운 문학 속 소외된 아이들이 자기대상의 도움을 받아 어떻게 그들의 고립 상황을 극복하는지에 좀 더 초점을 맞추었다. 이를 위하여 브라운이 글과 그림 모두의 저자인 그림책 33권이 수집되었고 하인즈 코헛의 자기 심리학적 관점에서 분석되었다. 코헛의 이론에 기초하여 본 연구는 브라운 문학에서 표상되는 아이들의 자기대상 유형과 그 기능, 그리고 성숙의 과정들을 분석하였다. 그 결과, 브라운의 작품 속에 등장하는 자기대상들로 가장 많이 나타난 존재는 순서대로 친구, 사물, 부모였다. 또 자기대상의 다양한 기능 중 쌍둥이 자기대상 기능이 가장 보편적인 기능이었으며 그 다음으로는 거울, 양육, 이상화 기능 등이 뒤따랐다. 이러한 발견을 토대로 브라운의 작품 속 많은 아이들이 최적의 좌절을 경험하고 최종적으로 성숙에 도달하는 점이 내용분석을 통해 논의되었다. This study aims to analyze the selfobjects of children in Anthony Browne’s literature. There has been a research of Ahn et al.(2011) on this topic which argues that the alienation of children is a prominent characteristic in Browne’s works. Although it is started from Ahn``s research, this study concentrates more on how the alienated children overcome their isolated situation with the help of their selfobjects. For the purpose of this study, 33 works both written and illustrated by Anthony Browne are collected and analyzed from the perspective of Heinze Kohut’s self psychology theory. Based on Kohut’s theory, this study examines the identity of the selfobjects of children, the functions of the selfobjects, and the process and the results of maturity of children in Browne’s literature. As a conclusion, it is argued that peers, toys, and parents appear in order as the children’s selfobjects. Among several functions of the selfobjects, the twinship function is proved to be the most common one. The following in order are mirroring, nurturing functions. Furthermore, it is argued that the majority of children in Browne’s works experience their optimal frustrations and finally reach their own maturity.

여중생이 지각한 부모 공감과 학교적응의 관계에서 자기대상의 매개 효과

이종연,김복미 한국여성심리학회 2012 한국심리학회지 여성 Vol.17 No.2

The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship among parent empathy perceived by female middle school students, selfobject, and school adjustment, and to examine the mediating effects of their selfobject on the relationship between their parent empathy and school adjustment. Two hundred fifty nine female middle school students participated in this study. The major results showed that (a) there were significant correlations among parent empathy perceived by female middle school students, selfobject, and school adjustment; and (b) the mediating effects of selfobject on the relationship between parent empathy perceived by female middle school students and their school adjustment were supported. These results mean that parent empathy perceived by female middle school students does not directly have impacts on their school adjustment, but only through selfobject. It is suggested that female middle school students need to have opportunities which they can experience selfobject in home, school, and community throughout their lives. as well as parent empathy for their better school adjustment.

불안정 성인애착이 심리적 역경 후 성장에 미치는 영향: 자기대상과 정신화의 매개효과

김태사,안명희 한국상담심리학회 2013 한국심리학회지 상담 및 심리치료 Vol.25 No.4

This study investigated the relation between insecure adult attachment and adversarial growth. Data based on self-report questionnaires from a sample of 822 males and females with previous trauma were analyzed. Findings indicated that the hypothesized model, in which the influence of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on adversarial growth was partially mediated by selfobject and mentalization, showed the best model fit. Both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance exhibited negative influence on selfobject and mentalization. Selfobject presented positive influence on mentalization and adversarial growth. Mentalization showed greater influence on adversarial growth than selfobject. Third, the pathways of influence from attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance to adversarial growth were separate. Attachment anxiety exhibited greater influence on mentalization than attachment avoidance. However, the greater the attachment avoidance, the more compromised was selfobject. Implications of current findings for counseling and suggestions for future study are discussed. 본 연구에서는 불안정 성인애착이 심리적 역경 후 성장에 미치는 영향을 살펴보고, 그 과정에 자기대상과 정신화가 관여하는지 확인하였다. 이를 위해 불안애착과 회피애착이 타인으로부터의 공감적 수용과 지지를 내재화한 자기대상과, 정서조율과 성찰능력 등으로 평가한 정신화를 매개로 심리적 역경 후 성장에 영향을 미치는 이론적 경로구조모형을 설정하고 이를 자료를 통해 검증하였다. 외상경험이 있다고 보고한 성인남녀 822명(N=822)의 자기보고 설문자료를 구조방정식 모형으로 분석한 결과, 불안애착과 회피애착이 자기대상과 정신화를 순차적, 부분 매개로 심리적 역경 후 성장에 영향을 미치는 경로구조모형의 적합도가 좋게 나왔다. 불안애착과 회피애착이 자기대상과 정신화에 부정적 영향을 미쳤고, 자기대상은 정신화와 심리적 역경 후 성장에 긍정적 영향을 미쳤다. 또한, 정신화는 심리적 역경 후 성장에 긍정적 영향을 주었는데, 자기대상에 비해 그 영향력이 상대적으로 더 컸다. 불안애착과 회피애착이 심리적 역경 후 성장에 영향을 미치는 과정은 차이가 있어, 불안애착이 높을수록 정신화가 낮아졌고, 회피애착이 심할수록 자기대상이 낮아졌다. 본 연구결과의 상담적 의의 및 후속연구를 위한 제언을 논의에 포함하였다.

신학적 관점과 심리학적 관점이 구분되며, 공존하는 목회상담의 특성 - 몰트만, 코헛 및 캡스의 관점을 중심으로 -

김태형 한국실천신학회 2021 신학과 실천 Vol.- No.74

목회상담은 신학적 차원과 심리학적 차원을 아우르는 특성을 보인다. 본 논의는 신학적 차원으로 위르겐 몰트만(Jürgen Moltmann)이 제시한 삼위일체 하나님이 독립 된 위격을 유지하면서, 상호 사귐과 교제의 방식으로 존재한다는 관점에 근거한다. 또 한 드보라 헌싱어(Devohra V. Hunsinger)는 칼게돈 공의회에 근거해서 예수 그리스 도의 신성과 인성이 각각 독립적으로 구분이 되면서도, 동시에 공존한다는 관점도 제 시하였다고 주장한다. 또한 본 논의는 심리학적 차원으로는 하인츠 코헛(Heinz Kohut)의 자기심리학에서 삶의 어려움을 견디기 위해서 개인의 내면에 자기대상이라는 필요하다는 관점에 근거 한다. 자기대상은 성장기에 주요 양육자의 반영과 공감을 통하여 건강하게 형성이 되 고, 유지가 될 수 있다. 따라서 상담자는 자기대상의 기능이 약해서 현실적 어려움을 겪을 때에 심리적 고통이 견디기 어려운 내담자에게 반영과 공감의 태도로 자기대상 을 강화하도록 돕는 역할을 감당해야 한다. 더 나아가서 본 논의는 도날드 캡스(Donald Capps)는 목회상담자와 내담자의 관계 에서 성령의 역사를 통하여, 얻게 되는 하나님 현존의 경험이 최상의 자기대상의 원 천이 될 수 있다고 주장한다. 또한 캡스에 따르면 하나님 현존 경험을 통하여 건강한 자기대상을 얻도록 돕는 목회상담은 내담자의 내면속에서 신학적 차원과 심리학적 차 원이 각각 구분되면서도 공존하며, 영혼의 구원과 성장이라는 신학적 차원과 내면의 안정이라는 심리적 차원의 건강을 모두 돕는 특성을 보인다. 그리고 복음서에 나온 예 수 그리스도의 치유는 이런 특성의 최상의 모범을 보여준다는 결론을 제시하려고 한다. Pastoral Counseling has a characteristic of Separating and Including Between Theological Viewpoint and Psychological Viewpoint. Theologically, this discussion has a basis of Jürgen Moltmann’s Trinity with independency and intersociality. In addition to Devohra V. Hunsinger’s separation and coexistence of divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ are included. Also, this discussion has a basis of Heinz Kohut’s Self Psychology with selfobject. A man needs Cohesive Selfobject to cope with difficulties of life. But Selfobject is formed and developed during childhood by empathic parents. But if a man fail in getting Cohesive Selfobject during early life, a counelor can help him to get Cohesive Selfobject with mirroring and empathic attitude. Donald Capps insists that the experience of the Presence of God is the most valuable Selfobject which can get through Holy Spirit with the relationship between pastoral counselors and clients. He also emphasizes that such pastoral counseling has a characteristic of separating and including the soul growth(theological viewpoint) and inner calming(psychological viewpoint). Gospels show that Jesus’ healing stories have the best examples of such pastoral counseling’s characteristic.