The embodied mind in the trenches: A neurophenomenological exploration of sensory experience, trauma, and the battlefield in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”

Hamed  Jamalpour; Zahra  Jamalpour; Manzar  Feiz

doi:10.59400/lf2496

Hamed Jamalpour English Language and Literature Department, Karaj Islamic Azad University, Karaj 3149968111, Iran
Zahra Jamalpour Medicine Department, Alborz University of Medical Science, Karaj 3198764653, Iran
Manzar Feiz Comparative Literature Department, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX 75080, USA

Article ID: 2496

Keywords: The Things They Carried; Tim O’Brien; neurophenomenology; embodied cognition; sensory perception; trauma; PTSD

Abstract

Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” transcends a mere war narrative. It delves into the profound assault on the human psyche and body experienced by soldiers grappling with combat horrors. This paper argues that a neurophenomenological framework offers a crucial lens for understanding these experiences, particularly their embodied responses to sensory overload and the enduring impact of trauma. Neurophenomenology posits that consciousness and the body are intertwined. Perceptions, emotions, and cognitions are rooted in bodily sensations. In Vietnam, soldiers endured a constant barrage of sensory stimuli: deafening artillery, the stench of death, and stifling humidity. These sensory experiences profoundly shaped their perceptions, emotions, and sense of self. “The Things They Carried” vividly illustrates this embodied reality. O’Brien details the soldiers’ physical and psychological burdens: the weight of equipment, the constant fear, and the guilt of witnessing comrades perish. These manifest as physical weight, but also as profound dread, racing heartbeat, trembling hands, and the ever-present threat of nausea. The treacherous terrain—the muddy swamps, the dense jungle—contributes to a profound sense of disorientation and alienation. By examining the soldiers’ experiences through a neurophenomenological framework, this paper aims to demonstrate how the sensory, bodily, and emotional dimensions of war are central to understanding the psychological and emotional impact of combat. “The Things They Carried” serves as a powerful testament to the enduring power of embodied experience, highlighting the profound and lasting impact of war on the human psyche and body.

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