The Blow of the Void: Depersonalization in Literature and Philosophy

The article discusses how depersonalization, a disruption in one's sense of self, can fundamentally alter a person's reality, echoing the ancient Buddhist idea that reality is constructed from our own thoughts. It describes how individuals with depersonalization may feel their beliefs need reconstruction, experience an altered sense of self or a sensation of having no self, and may respond to this change through spiritual awakening, anxiety, rumination, or artistic creation.

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Abstract

Abstract The idea that reality is subjective, constructed from our own perceptions, is quite an ancient concept. “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world,” said the Buddha. Depersonalization, a serious disruption in a person’s thoughts or sensations about their individual self, understandably alters their entire world. A person may feel as if everything he or she has ever believed must be somehow reconstructed back to what it was, or made afresh, since little of what was once taken for granted remains solid or safe. People may find themselves in a Never Neverland with an altered sense of self, or a distinct sensation of having no self at all. Struggling with this mental change can lead down many paths, sometimes implying a spiritual awakening, while at other times the path may lead to anxiety, fruitless rumination, and, on occasion, works of art.