A View on 'Self' through the Lens of Psychoanalysis and Buddhism

In the problematic of the concept of Self, psychoanalysis sees its main task as the formation of a person's as complete Self as possible by integrating its individual parts, which during life for various reasons could be split off or displaced, which prevents a person from satisfying their needs, connecting drives, entering into relationships with other people, etc. Without a sufficiently holistic Self, adequate mental life and assimilation of experience are impossible. Buddhism, on the contrary, sets its task as the rejection of its Self, which is the cause of an incessant string of sufferings, and declares on the basis of practical experience that there is no Self and this is a pure illusion. The work explores both points of view, their similarities and differences, both on the basis of theoretical works by representatives of both directions, and empirical material in the form of a study of the formation and development of the self of the hero of the feature film "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring again" (2003) from a Buddhist and psychoanalytic perspective. Based on the results of the analysis, it is concluded whether it is possible to combine such different views on the nature and functioning of the Self and use some of the Buddhist views in psychoanalytic psychology and psychoanalytic coaching, including questions of identity crisis and self-determination.