A MODEL FOR INTEGRATING ACTUAL NEUROTIC OR UNREPRESENTED STATES AND SYMBOLIZED ASPECTS OF INTRAPSYCHIC CONFLICT

In psychoanalytic theory, the importance of actual neuroses—considered to be devoid of psychic content—diminished as Freud and subsequent analysts focused on unconscious intrapsychic conflict. This paper explores the relationship between actual neurotic and unrepresented states, which are believed to be best addressed through attention to countertransference, intersubjectivity, and enactments rather than interpretation of intrapsychic conflict. Models suggesting how actual neurotic states and symbolized intrapsychic conflict may interact with each other and environmental stressors are described. Symbolizing actual neurotic states and establishing meaningful linkages between somatic/affective experiences and intrapsychic conflict are viewed as necessary for effective treatment of many disorders.     

Beyond the what, when, and how of transference: a consideration of the why.

Transference has generally been discussed in terms of its operating to distort the way in which a current relationship is dealt with and experienced because of one's past. In the present paper, emphasis is placed on that aspect of transference which operates as a defense, and which is called into play in response to signal anxiety associated with a "pathogenic complex" and is based on (1) a traumatic experience of stimulus overload or (2) an intrapsychic conflict stemming from instinctual drive pressure which in turn threatens a repetition of the traumatic experience. Clinical illustrations are presented in which both traumatic experience and drive-conflict forces are prominent, leading to a discussion of the here-and-now versus reconstruction of the past, as well as affective/cognitive and interpersonal/intrapsychic factors.     

I wish the hour were over: elements of a moral dilemma

In contrast to the viewpoint that sees conflict as deriving from defense against instinctual drives and thus as an intrapsychic phenomenon, this essay presents conflict as sometimes being an external opposition between disparate configurations of the self. These parallel sectors with different goals and ambitions can be seen in a continuum from the dramatic narcissistic behavior disorders to more subtle instances of moral dilemmas. A clinical illustration is offered to demonstrate its occurrence and management in psychoanalysis.     

Knowing another from a dynamic systems point of view: the need for a multimodal concept of empathy.

This paper explores the concept of empathy within the context of current debate regarding the advantages of an intersubjective versus an intrapsychic focus on the treatment process. The author explores the way in which dynamic systems theory, the parent of intersubjectivity, can potentially embrace the wisdom of both relational psychoanalysis and ego psychology. The ongoing analytic discourse is represented in two modes, by schematic and symbolic representations, which roughly correspond to the intersubjective and the intrapsychic record. Empathy is redefined as the enactive, imaginal, and interpretive efforts an analyst makes toward understanding both the schematic and symbolic discourse with her patient.     

Conflict in relational treatments

Various features of relational perspectives on conflict are outlined. Points of contact and difference between relational and modern conflict theory are discussed. Five approaches to considering conflict are examined: countertransference conflict as the site of interfaces between the social and the intrapsychic; conflict within the register of speech; conflict within a theory of multiple identifications; conflict as the site of psychic change; and conflict in the context of intersubjectivity. Clinical vignettes are introduced to illustrate the scope and function of conflict within one relational perspective.     

The use of play to promote insightfulness in the analysis of children suffering from cumulative trauma

Psychoanalytic opinion continues to be dichotomized in regard to the role of trauma versus intrapsychic conflict as contributing to pathogenesis. This paper emphasizes the importance of conflict in both the experience and processing of trauma, so that problems in talking about it and processing it verbally are taken as evidence of conflict and defense. Cumulative trauma and its analysis in children are emphasized. While children in analysis find remembering and talking about their traumas difficult, they can know such experiences and modulate the anxiety of knowing when they do so in play. A clinical vignette is presented to demonstrate this way of using play to promote more advanced mentalization or insightfulness.     

Analyzing intrapsychic conflict: compromise formation as an organizing principle

The author highlights the idea that analysts' recognition of intrapsychic conflict and compromise formation provides them with a most effective way to formulate their patients' problems. A clinical illustration is presented, with attention to the analyst's use of these concepts during the course of the patient's treatment. The author discusses ways in which his thinking about intrapsychic conflict, compromise formation, and unconscious fantasy informs his approach to clinical work. He emphasizes that viewing compromise formation as the organizing principle of much of mental life gives analysts an effective way to understand the underlying structure of the psychic phenomena in which they are interested.     

Observations on Two Natural Amnesias

The role of interpersonal sequences in determining amnesias has not been as explored as the role of intrapsychic conflict. This paper examines two natural amnesias, emphasizing their function as part of the process of sequencing phenomena.     

The conflict between mourning and melancholia

Conflict between facing the reality of loss on the one hand, and denying it on the other, is explored in clinical material drawn from an analysis approaching termination. The intrapsychic conflict over loss was expressed as a conflict between morality and reality, and was externalized as a conflict between patient and analyst. For the patient, giving up resentment toward the analyst became tantamount to giving up the ideal object and losing omnipotence. In the course of the analysis, his complaints became less convincing, and the conflict over loss became more conscious, allowing some moves toward mourning to take place.     

Suffering Passion,Together: Commentary on Paper by Peter Shabad

In this appreciative discussion of Shabad's paper, the author suggests an expanded role for intrapsychic conflict around the passionate drive to grow and change. At the same time, he suggests that the parent or analyst may need to “suffer passion” him or herself in order to help the patient or child evolve in this way.     

On nothing and nobody with an addendum on William Hogarth.

While phase-related traumata are often accepted as sufficient explanation of patients' reporting that they feel like "nothing" or "nobody," it is the thesis of this paper that such feelings often derive from intrapsychic conflict and that the working through of such conflict leads to significant therapeutic benefit. In support of this thesis, two cases are presented, together with an addendum on Hogarth's Mr. Nobody.     

Ego Disjunction as a Factor in Intersexual Attraction

The influence of individuals' intrapsychic motivational conflicts on intersexual dyad formation was investigated. Both members of 71 engaged couples served as Ss. Motivational conflict was assessed with two indices of ego disjunction, one developed by Trehub and the other derived by the present authors from the Trehubian model. Low albeit significant positive correlations were found between the scores of male and female Ss. These results are interpreted as indicative of a modest tendency for persons high in motivational conflict to be attracted to one another.     

Taboo desires,creativity, and career choice

Two studies suggest that Protestants are more likely than Catholics or Jews to sublimate taboo desires into motives to pursue creative careers. The results are consistent with a synthesis of psychological and classic sociological theories. In Study 1, Protestants induced to have taboo sexual desires were likely to express a preference for creative careers (as opposed to prosocial ones). In Study 2, a national probability sample revealed that “conflicted” Protestants—who had taboo desires but tried to rule their sexual behavior according to their religious beliefs—worked in the most creative jobs. The effects in both studies did not hold for Catholics and Jews. Results suggest that intrapsychic conflict can partially motivate important real-world decisions, such as the choice to pursue a creative career.     

Memory as resistance, and the telling of a dream.

Traditional analytic orientation to memory as subject to repression has overshadowed examination of some of the ego's other activities bearing on memory. The author examines the defensive use of memory with the analytic goal of maximum autonomous access for the patient to the ego's previously unconscious management of intrapsychic conflict. A close scrutiny of an example of this in the form of the telling of a dream explores this resistance process and illustrates a technical approach. Some aspects of this perspective are considered in relation to traditional approaches to dream material. Certain technical priorities for differing clinical settings are discussed.     

Loving, hating, vacillating: Agreeableness, implicit self-esteem, and neurotic conflict

An implicit preference for the self over others may be beneficial when pursuing one's own desires but costly when adjusting the self to the desires of others. On the basis of this reasoning, the authors hypothesized that Agreeableness and implicit self-esteem would interact in predicting measures of neurotic distress. Three studies and one meta-analysis, involving 235 undergraduate participants, confirmed that high levels of implicit self-esteem were beneficial (i.e., less neurotic distress) within the context of low levels of Agreeableness but costly (i.e., more neurotic distress) within the context of high levels of Agreeableness. Because findings were robust across various measures of Agreeableness, implicit self-esteem, and neurotic distress, the interpersonal principles examined here appear to have broad relevance for understanding this particular form of intrapsychic conflict and its manifestation in neurotic distress. Results therefore support Horney's (1945) theory concerning the consequences of intrapsychic conflicts related to interpersonal motivation and cognition.     

Conflict theory/trauma theory

There has been a tendency in psychoanalysis to view the effects of trauma, and our ways of working with it, as something separate from our understanding and techniques of working with intrapsychic conflict. While appreciating certain differences, the author explores, primarily via clinical examples, how an integrated perspective may be most helpful to our patients, especially in the area of the patient's capacity to reclaim feelings.     

Taming Uncivil Discourse

In an era of seemingly intense populist politics, a variety of issues of intergroup prejudice, discrimination, and conflict have moved center stage in much of the industrialized world. Among these is “political correctness” and, in particular, what constitutes a legitimate discourse of political and social conflict and opposition. Yet the meaning of legitimate discourse is being turned on its head as some disparaged groups seek to reclaim, or reappropriate, slurs directed against them. Using as a context a U.S. Supreme Court case about whether “The Slants”—a band named after a traditional slur against Asians—can trademark its name, we test several hypotheses about reappropriation processes based on a nationally representative sample with an oversample of East Asian Americans and several survey experiments. We find that motives attributions influence how people understand and evaluate potentially disparaging words. In particular, when reappropriation motives are perceived, insulting words are judged to be less insulting. In this sense, uncivil discourse can to some degree be tamed.