Talk for The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis for (@BGSPsya) with Dr. Emily Fox-Kales. Who are you- Human, Zombie/Corpse or Boney?

1. Warm Bodies:
A look at the state of Connection and Narcissism as
reflected in art
Dr. Emily Fox-Kales
Dr. William Sharp
@DrwilliamSharp
#WarnBodies

2. Warm Bodies: Zombies
• Undead- The Living Dead
• Limited real talking/communication between
themselves
• Generally operating on lowest common
denominator- reptilian brain
• Some remnants of humanness- clothing, etc.
• Experience hunger
• “lack” = collector/hoarder
• “musical tastes”= ???
• Live in the airport

3. Warm Bodies: Bonies
• Anger- “they’ll eat anything with a heartbeat, but at
least I am conflicted about it.”
• Hopeless- given up, “this is what I have to look
forward to”; “we all become them someday”
• Naked- nothing but raw exposed bone

4. Warm Bodies: Humans
• Alive- but what kind of life? “My fathers idea of living
is putting us in a box and waiting for us to die.”
• Brave? – is adherence to a rule brave? It gets Perry
killed. (Julie – yes, as the exception)
• Projection- uncaring, unfeeling, incapable of remorse,
“sound like anyone we know dad?”

5. Why Zombies
An interest in Zombies tends to spike when the
economy sputters- Sarah Juliet Lauro, Clemson
University, NYT 7/31/13,
“At zombie races, It is survival of the undeadest”,
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/01/fashion/at-zombie-
races-its-survival-of-the-undeadest.html
Talking about how the discharge of running decreases
tension of something that you can’t quite put your finger
on.
Song #1- Sitting here in limbo- Jimmy Cliff
Song #3- Missing You- John Waite

6. Why Zombies?

7. Why Zombies (cont)
But what if the lack is the result of technology?
The scene before the first attack, there is a PSP
working.

8. What is the lack?

9. A patient recently told me about a new game…

12. Love your body,
friends, and life
Online
with an avatar.
“Now, pleased with your looks, you
have the potential, as Second
Life puts it, to live a life that will
enable you to love your life.”
p158

13. Maslow’s Pyramid V Self Esteem
Love and Belonging come
BEFORE Self-Esteem, not
after it.

14. What if….
Technology is Neutral
There is nothing bad nor good- rather how we use
it- some may connect- others disconnect and
remain free from the risk of narcissistic injury.
A way to not grow into the difficult “adult” or
mature state of mind with all the shades of grey it
requires.
How do we risk our heart beating again?

15. “Cinema reflects mankinds historical drive to
manifest his consciousness outside of his
mind, in front of his eyes”
-George Youngblood

16. Song #8 – Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
Sogn #9 – Shelter from the Storm, Bob Dylan

17. Yalom – Love’s Executioner
”…therapist must discourage false solutions. One's
efforts to escape isolation can sabotage one's
relationships with other people. Many a
friendship or marriage has failed because,
instead of relating to, and caring for, one
another, one person uses another as a shield
against isolation. p11

18. The Fear in Connection
Narcissistic Injury
Song #4- The Bad in Each Other- Feist

19. “Be Dead”
R is a collector/hoarder- Very Klienian to incorporate, as Zombies do.
Playing a Vinyl record, “You’re a purist”, “Just sounds more real- more
alive. “
Images of connection are mostly nostalgia: the snow globe, old-time 3D
Stereo-viewer, and they take photos with a Polaroid (not digital)
Re: Perry– Lots of bad things happened to him, he was dead before R
killed him, she “already kinda knew” R had killed him.
Perry’s death becomes revolting to R and he spits out the brains. But,
he will kill for Julie, even hits Marcus.
Hand holding at the airport gets them through.
The Dead do not sleep [dream, bleed, get cold.]

20. Is there hope?
EXHUME
Stay Together. Keep safe.
Stay together. We are changing everything.

21. The Power of Connection