My Story, Myself
Jonathan Fox
Routledge eBooks June 11, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003733614-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that accessing a meaningful personal story often requires loosening one's grip on secondary consciousness and daily coping routines in favor of a more primal, integrative primary state, a "zone of discovery." Drawing on Adriana Cavarero, the chapter contends that identity expressed through emergent personal story is dialogic in nature, and it examines the risks of remembering after trauma and the challenge of inauthentic narration using examples from Playback Theatre events in Japan, Nepal, and the United States. |
Abstract
Referencing Robin Carhart-Harris’s distinction between primary and secondary consciousness, this chapter focuses on the individual experience of narrating stories, highlighting a “zone of discovery.” For an individual to access a meaningful story, it is often necessary to undergo a loosening, taking a step or two away from secondary consciousness and the coping functions of daily routine toward a more primal and integrative (primary) state. The last part of this chapter discusses emergent personal story as an expression of identity, citing philosopher Adriana Cavarero, who emphasizes the dialogic nature of identity. This chapter also addresses questions surrounding the risks of remembering, particularly following traumatic experience, as well as the challenge of inauthentic narration, again illustrated with examples drawn from Playback Theatre story events in Japan, Nepal, and the United States.