The psychodynamics of self-observation

• A framework for thinking about self-observation in relational psychoanalytic terms is described, in which three different levels of self-observation are distinguished. These levels are differentiated according to the kind of intrapsychic relationship enacted (monadic, dyadic, or triangular). Each level of observation is discussed separately with focus on the dynamic forces inhibiting or facilitating self-observation within each level. Dyadic and triangular levels of self-observation are well known in psychoanalytic theories, but a monadic, or one-dimensional level in which the ego is not split, is also described. This form of observation and the psychodynamics involved is discussed in relation to Bion's concept "O" and theory from Buddhist psychology. Finally, the interrelatedness of levels is described, and a brief case description from a session of psychoanalytic psychotherapy is used to illustrate how the three levels of observation interact. © 2007 The Analytic Press, Inc.

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