2022-02-08 ![[moses_a_head_with_three_faces_isometric_art_4f39449b-a5f7-421b-b768-a2259e911018.png]] Senses: - [[Self_ifs]] sense: the Self (capital S) is what's left after all the parts have stepped back. The Self is curious, calm, compassionate. The parts coming into contact with Self (the client's or the therapist's) is where the healing happens. - [[Self_buddhism]] sense: the "self" is the sense that there's an I, a me, which is separate from everything else. It's one side of the duality that some schools see as needing to be transcended. - Psychoanalysis Heinz Kohut sense. cf [[Ref. Ernest Wolf 2002 - Treating the Self - Elements of Clinical Self Psychology]] - [[Self_jung]] [[Problem of namespace collisions]] shows up bigly here. In IFS-speak, you want more Self. In Buddhist-speak, you want less. --- # [[Journal section]] ### 2024-03-18 Mon 04.22am From [[✅ CP 543 panel discussion - due 2024-03-22]]: 2024-03-18 Mon 04.16am Claude, I'm watching an interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK13MHsImME with Syros Orfanos, a psychologist at NYU who's into relational psychoanalysis. He's saying that one of the old ideas was that there was a unitary, core self. But now we're beginning to understand that there are many parts to us, multiple selves, multiple self-states. What's he referring to with the old idea of the unitary core self? > [!ai]+ AI > > The idea of a unitary, core self that Orfanos is referring to has been a dominant assumption in much of classical psychoanalytic theory and Western psychology more broadly. Here's some background: > 1. Freudian ego psychology: > - In Freud's structural model, the ego was seen as the coherent, rational part of the psyche that mediates between the demands of the id, superego, and external reality. > - While Freud recognized the existence of conflicting forces within the mind, the ego was still seen as a unitary entity that ideally should be strengthened and made more cohesive. > 2. Self psychology: > - Heinz Kohut's self psychology placed the idea of a core self at the center of personality development and psychotherapy. > - Kohut posited that a cohesive, integrated sense of self develops through optimal interactions with caregivers (selfobjects) and is the foundation of healthy functioning. > - Fragmentation or weakness of the self was seen as the root of psychopathology. > 3. Humanistic psychology: > - Theorists like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow emphasized the innate drive towards self-actualization and the development of a true, authentic self. > - The goal of therapy was often seen as removing barriers to this authentic self-expression and achieving a more integrated, genuine sense of self. > 4. Developmental psychology: > - Many developmental models, such as Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, posit a progression towards a more integrated, coherent sense of identity over time. > - The achievement of a stable, consolidated sense of self is often seen as a key developmental milestone. > > So the idea of a unitary, core self - an integrated, cohesive center of personality - has been a common thread across many influential psychological theories. > However, as Orfanos notes, there has been a shift in contemporary psychoanalysis, particularly in relational theory, towards recognizing the multiplicity and diversity within the self. Theorists like Bromberg argue that the self is composed of multiple self-states, and that healthy functioning involves fluid communication between these states rather than rigid unification. > This shift mirrors larger postmodern trends that challenge the idea of a singular, essential self in favor of recognizing the contextual, relational, and plural nature of identity. The unitary self is seen more as a useful fiction or aspiration than an actual psychological reality. > So Orfanos is highlighting a significant theoretical move away from the assumption of a core, cohesive self towards a more fragmented, multiple, and relational view of selfhood. This has major implications for how we understand personality, psychopathology, and the process of change in therapy. > Let me know if you have any other questions!