projective identification

[Neil Hucker]

Dear Adam I have decided to continue with the discusion.
Unfortunatelty I deleted your piece which I planned to include in my response. I am in the process of writing on my exploration of projective identification as well.
Comments.
1, Yes the focus is on a projective type of identificaton.
This is compared with introjective identification. In role terms, the child sees the parent in the role of the creative writer. He uses this as a role model takes the role inside by taking on the role and playing it out and then indentifies himself with it.
With projective identification the child/adult like arnold disowns angry feelings projects them into betty and identifies her as an angry person. These angry feelings are only part of his feelings for Betty. In role terms, instead of arnold identifying with his role/relationship of the angry partner attacking the innocent Betty he identifies with the role/relationship of the protesting victim being attacked by the angry Betty. 
Using your relationship example of Arnold and Betty, projective identication is about what Arnold does not about what Betty does if she identifies with the part,feeling, role that Arnold perceives her as or in.
Identifying with the transference, counter transference, counter roles, role reciprocity as I understand them are to do with betty's response to Arnolds role and or the role relationship he experiences himself in with Betty.
2, I did not find your idea of de-jargonizing the concept helpful. Firstly I think of we are going to reframe it in another jargon be it psychodramatic or Berne-ism let's accept that is what we are doing.Secondly as you are doing i think it is really important to understand what the analysts mean before we reframe it.
3, In terms of the recipient identifying with the projection I agree that this is important to know about. Often when patients come to me after failing to change someone elses behaviour I say the easiest way to change someone else behavour/role is to change your own role. This influences role reciprosity and the effects of unconscous projective identication.
3, I agree that when anything distorts adequate role reversal like in your generously provided marriage example,stepping outside of the role relationship into into the mirror position jointly and metacommunicating  changes the warm up in a spontaneous direction.  
4, I also agree with you that with the advent of email cyber relationship communication employing all of our psychodramatic method is just as applicable as in enacted life.
This issue is explored in my thesis which focuses on how to direct imaginary psychodramas. I had not thought of it before but it may be relevent to how we psychodramatists encounter each other via email and what we are going to role model for the world as we demonstrate the psychodrama method.
well my goodness I have gone.
Looking forward to the replies
neil
  
 
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