Elements of Self-Destruction

Why are humans, who are motivated by self-preservation, also motivated to engage in behaviors that threaten and even extinguish their existence? The present work has given thought to this question and examined the phenomenon of self-destruction through the perspectives of empirical psychology, psychoanalysis, analytical psychology, as well as existential-phenomenological psychology. The themes included in this book are: the emerging understanding of self-destructiveness in culture, religion, philosophy, and psychology; Bion's investigation into the self-destructive capacity of the mind; Heidegger's ontology of Being and the Enframing of technology; and identifying and delineating the 'who' who most experiences the impact of human-to-human destructiveness in our contemporary culture.

Brent Potter, PhD, is a psychotherapist, child mental health specialist, and ethnic minority mental health specialist (WA). Potter earned his master's degree in existential-phenomenological psychology from Duquesne University. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute. He has more than twenty years of experience providing clinical services in a range of settings including inpatient, hospital, outpatient, and private practice. He has published numerous articles, 'Elements of Self-Destruction', and has three forthcoming books.