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Narcissism and unconscious communication
The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
|January 1, 1987
Summary
This study explores how unconscious messages are transmitted in psychoanalysis. Narcissistic patients resist this, creating discourse empty of meaning to maintain self-esteem.
Area of Science:
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Psychology of the unconscious
Background:
- Analytical material implicitly conveys unconscious messages through representations.
- Recognition of the object by the subject is crucial for message expression.
Observation:
- In narcissistic situations, unconscious messages are not emitted.
- Narcissistic subjects fail to recognize the other as an object in unconscious dialogue.
- Narcissism is most evident in communication devoid of unconscious meaning.
Findings:
- Narcissism involves a subject-object collaboration to sustain the illusion of self-sufficiency.
- This dynamic is maintained by patient's meaningless discourse and analyst's pseudo-interpretation.
- Patient's self-esteem is reinforced by maintaining verbal accounts free of unconscious content.
Implications:
- Analysts must address narcissistic resistance to prevent pathological self-valuation.
- Narcissistic regressions involve identifications, distinguishing them from anobjectal stages.