Role Reversal, etc. (response to Peter H)

[Ivo Banaco]

We can add in this conversation some useful theoretical inputs by some
important points made by the field of developmental psychology. American
philosopher, Ken Wilber, makes an important synthesis of some of the most
important discoveries in this regard. To put in simple, every human being
develops through 3 major levels of development that goes from egocentric to
sociocentric to worldcentric (eventually kosmocentric in the higher realm).
There are many scales that we can discuss, but the normal movement is from
the narrow circles of egocentricity to the wider embrace of the world and
its perspectives.



Things get more complicated (but more intuitive) when Ken Wilber adds to
this levels of being, lines of development. The most important works in this
field comes from Howard Gardner with his frames of mind and multiple
intelligences. The general message is: Some people can be better in some
areas, other people in others.



Ken Wilber's theory is more complex than that as some of you might know, so
I will not develop more than that.



Having said that, let me just explore an important intersection about
levels&lines and this conversation about Moreno's Developmental Theory. Ken
Wilber in most recent works develops an important meta-theory framework.
Specifically in the interior/subjective dimensions of human beings (what he
calls the Upper left quadrant and Lower left quadrant, being the
exterior/objective dimensions the upper right and lower right quadrants,
completing the four quadrants of reality, upper quadrants the individual
dimensions, lower quadrants the collective dimensions), Wilber distinguishes
the view from within and the view from without. Let's call them zone 1 and
zone 2 approaches, respectively.



A zone #1 approach privileges an understanding of the subjective and
intersubjective dimensions of our beings from within, using the first and
second person languages, using meaning, intersubjective mutual
understanding, hermeneutics, phenomenology, etc.  A zone #2 approach is
mainly a structuralist stance, an "it" language, a theory. Ideally, these
two perspectives must be co-creating an integral view of subjective
dimensions. A failure to do so could have serious negative implications. For
instance, Freud could had had a pretty good theory about the unconscious,
neurosis, etc, but it lacks a good therapeutic method in order to bring
solutions to the patients. He was good at it language, not so good in zone
#1 approaches.



In this discussion, we should have in mind that what is being discussed is
mainly a view from within, which is great as far as it goes. Concepts as
role reversing, mirroring, empathy development, must intertwine with modern
research of human development in its multiple intelligences.



"Experience without theory is blind,
but theory without experience is mere intellectual play"
- Immanuel Kant



I think the above simplifies my issue.



All the best,



>From Portugal,

Ivo Banaco


On 3/28/08, Peter Howie <peterhowie at macquariehouse.com.au> wrote:
>
> Hi Adam,
>
> Good responses! but lunch and a meeting call.
>
> PH  The other aspect of this model is noticing when a client or trainee
> is, during their work, in one or other of these stages. For instance
> confidence fading, energy going down can often indicate the stage of a
> double and hence doubling is valuable. The stage may only last a moment but
> it could indicate some form of doubling rather than mirroring or role
> reversal (which includes mirroring)
>
>          AB: I think you're saying that doubling is often useful when the
> protagonist is "losing energy" -- is that so?
>
>
> No I am suggesting that the protagonist is actually acting as though they
> are in the stage of the double - that *in the role *they are in they are
> incapable of the things a person who has gone through the stage of the
> double are capable of - *in that role*. Its not there in role reversal or
> taking up other roles. But really a person may have matured past the stage
> for all practical purposes but when enacting a drama they may be in that
> stage again.
>
> Cheers
>
> Peter
>
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>
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