Psychic equivalence describes a mind-state where no distinction is drawn between the contents of the mind and the external world – where what is thought in the mind is assumed to be automatically true.
Origins
Psychic equivalence is a primitive mind-state which precedes in infancy the capacity for
mentalization
In psychology, mentalization is the ability to understand the mental state – of oneself or others – that underlies overt behaviour.
Mentalization can be seen as a form of imaginative mental activity that lets us perceive and interpret human b ...
, that is, for reflection upon both inner and outer worlds. In psychic equivalence mode, if the child thinks there is a monster in the closet it believes there really ''is'' a monster in the closet; if the inner world feels harmonious, the world outside is also harmonious.
Psychic equivalence is thus a form of concrete understanding of the world, self-convinced, that blocks all curiosity about alternative mind-views.
In later life
Psychic equivalence reappears in later life in the course of dreams, delusions, and
traumatic flashbacks. It involves a temporary loss of awareness of the difference between external reality and the contents of the mind: thus in
post traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
the individual is convinced (perhaps years later) they are actually back in the situation of the original trauma, a complete loss of perspective.
Where a defensive
false self
The true self (also known as real self, authentic self, original self and vulnerable self) and the false self (also known as fake self, idealized self, superficial self and pseudo self) are a psychological dualism conceptualized by English psycho ...
has been built up since infancy to defend against the anxieties of psychic equivalence, subsequent collapse of the
narcissistic
Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism, named after the Greek mythological figure ''Narcissus'', has evolv ...
structure can lead to the re-emergence of the terrifying impingement by reality of psychic equivalence.
See also
References
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External links
psychic equivalence
Developmental psychology
Psychological concepts
Psychodynamics
Mindfulness (psychology)
Borderline personality disorder