Traumatic dissociation of aspects of the feminine: an Asian cultural perspective

The paper explores the impact of the dissociated feminine principle resulting from the trauma of cultural displacement in a young Chinese woman keen to embrace a modern Western identity. A case study illustrates the outcome of the client both consciously and unconsciously rejecting the traditional stereotypical Chinese feminine identity and instead embracing the distorted, yet seductive, image of the Western (Caucasian) woman as independent, intellectual and confident. Her defensive denial of the traditional feminine was dealt with by intellectualising both personal and professional relationships. Then, unconsciously, the dissociated traditional feminine was projected into a separate aspect of her identity that held the traumatised feelings. The intellectualisation was eventually understood as being a necessary defence to cope with the cultural as well as geographical dislocation trauma. And with this realisation a space was created to accept and integrate the denied feminine–in a literal as well as a symbolic manner.     

Neurones miroir, résonance et cognition sociale

Mirror neurons were discovered in the 1990's by cognitive neuroscientists from Parma. How central are mirror neurons in primates, social cognition. Do mirror neurons enable an observer to match the agent's observed movements onto her own motor repertoire? Does this matching enable the observer to represent the agent's intention, as argued by Rizzolatti et al? A positive answer to these questions can't be provided unless one assumme that mirror neurons compute the goal of an action by means of a “forward model” of the perceived action. However, the experimental evidence rather suggests that mirror neurons compute the motor means for achieving the desired goal, in accordance with an “inverse model” of the perceived action.     

The other between fear and desire – countertransference fantasy as a bridge between me and the other

This paper attempts to show how unrepresented rupture/injury of primary expectations of the early relationship is reactivated in the analytic process. This becomes perceptible especially as unconscious fear and a specific defence described as ‘living behind a glass-wall’. The author, however, postulates the existence of an inherent dialogical-dyadic principle in the psyche, which she calls archetypal hope, and shows how this principle may become active in the analytical space. These aspects of analytical treatments are sketched with two vignettes, in which unconscious processes of exchange cause the analyst to experience unrepresented states. The author describes how the analyst is gradually able to experience and understand this, and how this understanding finally – without first becoming explicit – becomes effective in the analytical space. Special attention is given to the analytic attitude. A readiness to accept and move into regression and a receptivity to attune to the early sensory experience of the analysand is regarded as essential. Through this the analyst gains access to the inner space of the analysand and, through bodily experience and pre-symbolic processes, the unrepresented may thus become figurable. The reverie and countertransference fantasies are understood as a bridge: they connect the analytic pair. However, the reverie also creates the transition between that which was not – the absent representation – and that which wants to emerge. It thus bridges the personal unconscious (implicit expectation) and the archetypal (the archetypal hope). Through this, the space of hope may become a space of possibility, and help bridge the chasm between the experienced and the hoped-for.     

Self,other and individuation: resolving narcissism through the lunar and solar paths of the Rosarium

This paper describes narcissism as our natural, infant-like behaviour, and specifies three characteristics relating to the evacuation and avoidance of distress, to control, and to distancing from relationship. It suggests that the processes of incarnation and individuation represent the development of the early ego and the ‘resolution’ of these narcissistic ways of being, including escape from the ‘mirror trap’. The development of the early, controlling ‘homunculus-ego’ entails the loosening and broadening of ego-identifications and the ego becoming subject to the Self. This is an embodied-relational-social-spiritual process outlined in detail by the full 20 woodcuts of the Rosarium Philosophorum, and specifically the lunar (relational) and solar (self-expressive) paths, which are explored herein. These processes are illustrated with respect to the interaction between infant and caregiver, clinical vignettes and examples from the political sphere.     

Healing cultural trauma and its application to the Router programme

This paper explores the issue of cultural trauma, which is an area of concern in psychology generally and has emerged as one within the International Association for Analytical Psychology’s Router training programme. A summary of responses to the issues of cultural trauma and complexes (alongside cultural differences) within analytical psychology are presented, followed by an overview of findings from the IAAP’s evaluation of the Router training programme. These findings are then aligned with contemporary sociological research. The significant issues involved in healing cultural trauma seem to be ‘working through’, as well as the place of imagination, dreamwork, symbolism and metaphor. Research in Poland has specifically highlighted the importance of good governance, economic vitality, personal and social capital (as in education and social participation), a meaning system, certain external contingencies, channels of mobility and ritualism.     

“To g or not to g?” — Analysis of the dimensional structure of a cognitive abilities’ battery

Over the past century there has been an extensive debate in Psychology over whether intelligence structure is best represented through a single general ability, multiple specific abilities, or a hierarchical structure of abilities. This study aims at contributing to this debate through an analysis of the dimensional structure of a cognitive abilities’ battery aiming to evaluate, in combination, differentiated cognitive processes of increasing complexity (comprehension, reasoning, and problem solving) through items of different contents (verbal, numerical, and spatial). A Portuguese representative sample of 2546 adolescents enrolled in secondary education participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out and the results showed that: (1) the hierarchical model is the only presenting an acceptable fit to the data (RMSEA = .07; CFI = .96; TLI = .92), (2) the existence of specific factors cannot be neglected, and (3) contents of the subtests assume relevance to explain the levels of adolescents’ cognitive performance. These results are discussed taking into account the contribution of school experience for the development and differentiation of adolescents’ cognitive abilities.     

Typology,the eight-function model,and archetypal complexes

This clinical presentation shows what insights a typology-conscious analysis of clients and their families may lead to and points out what is added by applying John Beebe’s eight-function, eight-archetype model. To reflect on the inner balance between archetypal complexes in the eight-function structure that holds our psyche, the author invites clients to do a typological analysis, including an analysis of their archetypal patterns, which may, itself, provoke anxiety. This article includes a presentation of ideas and experiences sparked when confronting these complexes in clinical work. Clients are introduced to six stages of coping with stress that may allow them to be more conscious of their complexes when triggered. These stages are Faint, Freeze, Flight, Fidget, Fight, and Flow. To identify whether the stress is physiological, emotional, or intellectual, the idea of the Triune Brain is introduced. The therapeutic work may lead to redemption from opposites, which is an ethical task.     

Saccadic peak velocity as an alternative index of operator attention: A short review

IntroductionAutomation research has identified the need to monitor operator attentional states in real time as a basis for determining the most appropriate type and level of automated assistance for operators doing complex tasks.ObjectiveThe development of a methodology that is able to detect on-line operator attentional state variations could represent a good starting point to solve this critical issue.ResultsWe present a short review of the literature on different indices of attentional state and discuss a series of experiments that demonstrates the validity and sensitivity of a specific eye movement index: saccadic peak velocity (PV). PV was able to detect variations in mental state while doing complex and ecological tasks, ranging from air traffic control simulated tasks to driving simulator sessions.ConclusionThis research could provide several guidelines for designing adaptive systems (able to allocate tasks between operators and machine in a dynamic way) and early fatigue-and-distraction warning systems to reduce accident risk.