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Neglectful Parenting Style 

 

Distant and Disinterested.

 

Neglectful parents are emotionally distant and largely unavailable. They offer neither warmth nor structure, often seeming distracted, overwhelmed, or entirely disengaged. These parents provide little guidance, attention, or support, and may fail to meet even the child’s basic emotional or physical needs. Their absence—whether physical, mental, or emotional—leaves the child feeling invisible and alone.

SHUNYA PERSONALITY TYPE

The Result of Neglectful Parenting Style

 

The essence the adult formed through sattvic, authoritative parenting is called Shūnya-Ahaṅkārin,  one whoone with a hollow sense of self”—an adult shaped by emotional neglect, often feeling unseen, unworthy, or disconnected from a clear identity.

 

 

SANSKRIT MEANING 

  • Shūnya (शून्य) – meaning empty, void, or lacking presence. In this context, it refers to the emotional and relational void experienced by those who grew up unseen or unsupported.
  • Ahaṅkārin (अहंकारिन्) – one who possesses ego or has a sense of self. When formed without love, guidance, or affirmation, this ego becomes fragile, undefined, or hollow.
  • Shūnya-Ahaṅkārin (शून्य-अहंकारिन्) is formed by uniting these two Sanskrit roots to signify “one with a hollow sense of self."

 

VEDIC PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Neglectful parenting gives rise to tamasic samskaras—impressions of abandonment, emotional dullness, and helplessness. These form a wounded ahankara rooted in lack or invisibility. Healing involves invoking Sattva through nurturing presence, self-recognition, and sacred relational spaces where the inner child feels seen, valued, and safe to unfold.

Shūnya Personality Type

Empty. Withdrawn. Unseen. Disconnected. Distant. Lonely.

 

 

PERSONALITY TRAITS

  1. Low self-worth
    They often feel invisible, unworthy, or fundamentally flawed due to the internalized message that their needs didn’t matter.

  2. Emotional detachment or numbness
    Without emotional mirroring in childhood, they may struggle to identify or express feelings and may rely on dissociation to cope.

  3. Fear of intimacy
    They may crave connection but feel unsafe when closeness arises, resulting in avoidance, anxiety, or difficulty trusting others.

  4. Hyper-independence
    They may pride themselves on not needing anyone—an adaptive defense against repeated emotional abandonment.

  5. Self-sabotage or passivity
    Accustomed to powerlessness, they may defer decisions, undermine their own progress, or feel incapable of shaping their life.

  6. Difficulty with self-care and boundaries
    With no model for nurturing or protection, they may struggle to meet their needs or to advocate for themselves in healthy ways.

A Vedic Psychology Portrait

Decoding the Inner Self Through Ayurvedic Face & Body Reading

 

For centuries, Ayurvedic physicians have practiced mukha-vijnana—the sacred art of reading the face and body to discern the inner landscape of a person’s mind, constitution, and character. Rooted in the understanding that the body reflects the soul’s impressions and experiences, this subtle science interprets posture, gaze, and expression as windows into samskaras and developmental influences.

In this portrait, we observe the Shūnya—an adult personality type formed through permissive parenting, embodying emotional emptiness, collapsed posture, and a hollow sense of self shaped in the absence of care, mirroring the quiet ache of having been unseen.

As the image suggests this person exhibits:

  • Collapsed or guarded posture: The inward-turned body signals protection and self-concealment—common in those who grew up feeling emotionally unsafe or unseen.
  • Flat or distant facial expression: A lack of animation in the face may reflect chronic emotional numbing or dissociation, protective strategies rooted in early neglect.
  • Avoidant gaze: Looking away or downward can signal shame, hypervigilance, or a learned belief that connection isn’t safe or available.
  • Still, withdrawn hands: Lack of engagement or activity in the hands may show disempowerment or a learned passivity—stemming from the belief that efforts won’t be acknowledged.
  • Muted or faded clothing and setting: The absence of color or vitality in the surroundings symbolizes a tamasic atmosphere—emotional dullness, invisibility, and lack of nourishment.

Together, these features portray, the Shūnya, an adult who may appear self-contained or emotionally shut down, but who internally carries unmet needs, chronic loneliness, and a deep yearning to be seen—hallmarks of neglectful parenting.

How Were You Parented?


Take the Parenting Style quiz to uncover the dominant style of your parent. Trace the roots from your childhood upbringing to the patterns you carry into adulthood.

 

Take the quiz

DEEPEN YOUR STUDIES

 

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