%0 Journal Article
%T Dynamics of self
%A Forough Barani
%J Theory & Psychology
%@ 1461-7447
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0959354319842949
%X In light of the newly developed approach of ¡°Virtual Fictional/Factual Positioning¡± (VFP), I introduce ¡°fictional dissociation¡± as a new concept for evaluating ¡°fictional positioning¡± and the role of storytelling as a coping strategy in the aftermath of trauma. Traumatic changes can interrupt one¡¯s story and harm or even disconnect self-dialogue. The particular direction that survivors may take after a painful event is one of the most delicate concerns regarding trauma. This article especially examines the dynamics of self-dialogue following a fatal traumatic experience and the ways in which ¡°fictional dissociation¡± as an artistic endeavour can help the self cope with psychological problems. A fictional case study from a Paul Auster novel, Oracle Night (2003/2011), displaying symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD) is examined to establish whether the protagonist can develop a functional dialogical self through storytelling in the act of ¡°fictional dissociation.
%K complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD)
%K dialogical self
%K fictional dissociation
%K fictional positioning
%K storytelling
%K trauma
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0959354319842949