Revista da Abordagem Gestáltica
Print version ISSN 1809-6867
Abstract
ALVIM, Monica Botelho. The ontology of the flesh in Merleau-Ponty and clinical situation in the perspective of Gestalt-therapy. Rev. abordagem gestalt. [online]. 2011, vol.17, n.2, pp.143-151. ISSN 1809-6867.
In this work we discuss Gestalt therapy clinical practice as a field of experience, seeking to broaden its understanding through dialogue with Merleau-Ponty. Our focal point is experience with the other in the world and the place of experience in the process of signification of existence. Underlining in Gestalt-Therapy: a) the notions of environment-organism field and contact boundary as descriptive conception of the human experience, an unfolding temporal process that involves difference and meaning-making; b) Its methodological proposal that psychotherapy should seek to focus on the situation, ie, the structure of experience here and now; c) The consideration of psychotherapy as a situation involving self and other in dialogue. Considering that Merleau-Ponty shares with Gestalt Therapy roots and influences and both propose a return to the world and experience in the search for meaning, we seek to make comparisons with his late thought, when he proposes an ontology of the flesh and thinks experience as fission, difference and reversibility, to introduce by the notion of intercorporeality, the possibility of “feeling with”, ie, find the other not in the objective space of reflection, but in the realm of thoughtless.
Keywords : Gestalt-therapy; Merleau-Ponty; Intercorporealty; Brute being; Flesh.