Page 28 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 15

Elena Strigo (Russia)
Comment to

“Existential Isolation,
Prayer and Attachment to

God” Elena Strigo
(Russia) psy-
chologist, psy-
The article of prof. Nicolene Joubert raises the chotherapist,
problem of existential isolation (EL) and its European Cer-
threat to mental health. A high degree of EL ticate in Psychotherapy (EAP). Full mem-
increases a sense of social isolation with a sub- ber of the Professional Psychotherapeutic
sequent risk of depression and suicide. EI also League of Russia. Head of the Psychological
relates to insecure attachment, trauma, and Counseling Centre ABIGAIL, Krasnoyarsk,
the ambivalent connection to the caregivers. Russia. President of the Krasnoyarsk Regio-
According to the author, a prayer based on an nal Society of Christian Psychologists and
inner instinct for prayer is in a way a response Psychotherapists.
and solution to a feeling of isolation and let “to
become aware that we are children of God and estrigo@mail.ru
deeply connected in our existence to our Fa-
ther”. The “prophetic prayer”, a specific type of Contribution by Elena you can see here:
prayer, is an individual path to form a secure https://emcapp.ignis.de/3/#/102
attachment to God which would create a strong https://emcapp.ignis.de/11/#p=52
defense against an elevated EL. From Christian
psychological viewpoint the emotional effects
of prayer would cause inner peace and harmony
which lead to “our deepest realization that we assert the authorship of his will in the organi-
are not alone but forever part of God”. zation and control of being. Still, it is a wonder
why existential isolation is the inevitable logical
Existential problems – relations with death, conclusion of self-awareness experience. Why
freedom, loneliness – are an integral part of self-awareness in its progress would not result
human existence. Yalom calls this the curse of as a priority in the unity with the whole world,
self-awareness. An individual is doomed to exi- or at least with loved ones? What makes a per-
stential problems because his being is what he is son, with an increasing sense of his own indivi-
rooted in, what surrounds him everywhere and duality, not to consequently become comforted
every time threatens him with interruption, de- with similar others and connected to them with
cay or rejection. The loved ones die, he himself bonds of friendship and love, but instead, isola-
is mortal and susceptible to disease, the world ted, detached, and desperate?
invades his aspiration for harmony, safety, and
secure affection. Other people, with their arro- The reverse side of existence absorbed and cap-
gance or indifference, generate a feeling of an- tured by being is, according to Yalom, a feeling
xiety, helplessness, despair, and disconnection. of uncanny, a sign of the limit in the ability to
Helplessness and meaninglessness are the main manage, control and give direction to the pro-
problems of human existence. cesses of being. The world disintegrates; the fan-
tasies of the familiar world governed by secure
Since the time of Eden, it has been inherent in attachment and stability collapse, and an indivi-
individual at every opportunity to declare him- dual falls in the epicenter of his own loneliness,
self as a separate self-determining being and to at ultimate point of his existence in the world

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