The destructive nature of severe and ongoing trauma: Impairments in the minimal-self

Severe and ongoing trauma can damage the minimal self—the core sense of being a unified subject of experience. Over time, this impairment may contribute to complex post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. The paper builds conceptual connections between phenomenological philosophy and neuroscience to explain this process.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper argues that severe and ongoing trauma (SOT) can lead to impairment at the level of the minimal self (MS), which is the core element in the structure of subjectivity. In the long-term, such impairments can result in complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) and schizophrenia. The paper tackles this issue while trying to create meaningful bridges between phenomenology and neuroscience.