Whole Life Narratives and the Self

Abstract

A narrative theory of the self offers expla- nations of the holistic relationship between a mental content and other mental contents, as well as the rela- tionship between an experience and its subject. For this reason, it offers an attractive alternative to atomistic psychological theories of personal identity, in which a person is defined using memory and other relationships grounded on discrete, impersonal experiences. Narra- tive theories often require a narrative of the entirety of a person's life, which is an implausible requirement. My recommendation is that the narrative account be applied only to threads within a person's life. This leaves us with a notion of a person that does not necessarily require a complete narrative unity, but is a bundle of narrative threads, with links in consciousness and the unconscious. Understanding this can provide a suit- able context for engaging with patients with disorders of the self.