Shifting Relational States, Activators, and the Variable Unconscious: Towards a New Psychoanalytic Theory of Awareness

Abstract

This article uses three clinical vignettes to propose a revised model of the unconscious, arising from “template theory,” which views the individual as possessing multiple “relational templates,” observable patterns of relatedness encoded during development and manifesting themselves in automatic relational behavior. A relational template contains two roles, and either role can be occupied, a phenomenon described as “role exchangeability.” The grouping of template role, with its corresponding affects and memories is defined as a “relational state.” Each relational state has its level of awareness and unawareness, which changes when “state shifting” is initiated by an “activator.” Fluctuating change in the level of unawareness is identified as the “variable unconscious.” Controlled movement between relational states can be directed by the overriding function of an individual's reflective abilities, derived from their “reflective state,” and enhanced by analytic interpretation (which converts procedural phenomena into symbolic thought.)

Este artículo utiliza tres viñetas clínicas para proponer un modelo revisado del inconsciente, a partir de la “teoría de las plantillas”, que considera que el individuo posees múltiples “plantillas relacionales”, es decir patrones de relación que se han codificado durante el desarrollo y que se manifiestan en la conducta automática relacional. Una plantilla relacional contiene dos roles, y uno u otro rol puede ser ocupado, un fenómeno descrito como “intercambiabilidad de papel”. La agrupación del papel de plantilla, con sus correspondientes afectos y recuerdos se define como un “estado relacional”. Cada estado relacional tiene su nivel de conciencia e inconsciencia, que cambia cuando el “cambio de estado” se inicia con un “activador”. Cambio fluctuante en el nivel de inconsciencia es identificado como el “inconsciente variable”. El movimiento controlado entre los estados relacionales puede ser dirigido por la función primordial de las capacidades reflexivas de un individuo, derivadas de su “estado de reflexión”, reforzadas por la interpretación analítica, que convierte los fenómenos de procedimiento en pensamiento simbólico.

Cet article utilise trois vignettes cliniques pour proposer un modèle révisé de l'inconscient inspiré de la “théorie de la reconnaissance de formes”. Celle-ci considère l'individu comme disposant de multiples “formes relationnelles”, des patterns relationnels observables, encodées au cours du développement et se manifestant en comportement relationel automatique. Une forme relationelle contient deux rôles, et l'un ou l'autre rôle peut être occupé, un phénomène décrit comme “l'échangeabilité des rôles”. Le groupement de rôle des formes, avec ses affects correspondants et ses mémoires, est défini comme un “état relationnel”. Chaque état relationnel a son niveau de conscience et d'inconscience, lequel change lorsqu'une “modification d'état” est initiée par un “activateur”. Le changement fluctuant du niveau d'inconscience est identifié comme “l'inconscient variable”. Un mouvement contrôlé entre les états relationnels peut être dirigé par la fonction prépondérante des capacités réflexives d'un individu, dérivées de ses “états réflexifs”, et amélioré par l'interprétation analytique, laquelle convertit les phénomènes procéduraux en pensée symbolique.

Questo lavoro utilizza tre vignette cliniche per proporre un modello rivisitato dell'inconscio: prendendo avvio dalla “teoria dei modelli” (“template theory”), questa riconcettualizzazione sostiene che l'individuo possieda multipli “modelli relazionali”, cioè patterns osservabili di relazionalità codificati durante lo sviluppo che si manifestano nel comportamento relazionale automatico. Un modello relazionale contiene due ruoli che possono essere assunti da un individuo, fenomeno quest'ultimo descritto come “interscambiabilità di ruolo”. Si definisce “stato relazionale” il raggruppamento del ruolo modello, con l'inclusione dei corrispondenti affetti e memorie. Ogni stato relazionale ha il suo livello di consapevolezza e di inconsapevolezza, livello che muta quando un “attivatore” avvia lo “stato di cambiamento”. Il fluttuare del cambiamento nel livello di inconsapevolezza costituisce la “variabile inconscia”. Movimenti controllati tra stati relazionali possono essere guidati dalla funzione predominante delle competenze riflessive di un individuo, derivate dal loro “stato riflessivo”, e valorizzati dall'interpretazione analitica che converte il fenomeno procedurale in pensiero simbolico.

In dieser Arbeit werden drei Fallvignetten dazu verwendet, ein revidiertes Modell des Unbewußten darzustellen. Es kommt aus der ”template theory“ (template=Schablone), die das Individuum im Besitz multipler ”realtional templates“ (Beziehungsschablonen) sieht. Das sind beobachtbare Muster von Bezogenheit, die sich im Lauf der Entwicklung eingeschrieben (enkodiert) haben und sich im automatischem Beziehungsverhalten manifestieren. Eine solche Beziehungsschablone enthält zwei Rollen, und jede Rolle kann eingenommen werden – ein Phänomen, das als ”role exchangeability“ (Austauschbarkeit von Rollen) beschrieben wird. Die Anordnung einer solchen ”template role“ mit den ihr zugehörigen Affekten und Erinnerungen wird ”relational state“ genannt. Jeder ”Beziehungsstatus“ hat seine Ebene von Bewusstheit und Unbewusstheit, die wechselt, wenn ein ”state shifting“ durch einen ”activator“ ausgelöst wird. Die Fluktuation auf der unbewussten Ebene wird als das ”variable Unbewusste“ beschrieben. Eine kontrollierte Bewegung zwischen den ”relational states“ kann durch die übergeordnete Funktion der reflexiven Fähigkeiten des Individuums gelenkt werden, die diesem ”reflective state“ entstammen; unterstützt wird dieser Vorgang durch die analytische Interpretation, die prozedurale Phänomene in symbolisches Denken verwandelt.

Keywords:

• activators
• relational
• roles
• self
• shifting
• states
• templates
• unconscious

Notes

¹Which Lichtenberg anticipated in his theory of motivational systems (Lichtenberg, Lachmann, and Fosshage, 1992)

² Zeddie (2000) more recently talked of a “fluid” boundary between conscious and unconscious experience (p. 468).

³The term “relational state” is a short form of “relational self-state,” which I have not used in full, because I find the word length unwieldy. I have chosen to focus on the relational variety of self-state, because, in therapy, patients are primarily observed within a two-person configuration. The question of the existence of types of non-relational states is not addressed here, and I am presently not certain as to whether any frame of mind can be said to be an exclusively one-person phenomenon.

⁴ Reiser (1990) has observed the related phenomenon of how memories are grouped together according to their prevailing affects.

⁵Fossaghe (2004, personal communication) has used the word “activator” in the same way, and Kohut (1968) intended something similar with his use of the word “trigger.”

⁶Of course, the “pushing buttons” colloquialism is intended as a warning that the relational state that is being activated may not be a pleasant one.

⁷However, occupying a reflective state in order to dissociate oneself from affective experience, as with this clinical example, can be seen either as adaptive or pathological, depending both on the degree of disavowal and one's clinical point of view.

⁸A relational premise is a learned assumption or belief about relationships, in a sense the explicit, symbolic representation of the template, similar to “invariant organizing principals” (Stolorow and Stolorow, 1989).