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Berne's energy theory - Cathexis (Transactional analysis / TA is an integrative approach to the...
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Eric Berne developed a theoretical explanation of what happens when we shift executive power and our sense of real self between one ego state and another. Berne followed Freud in hypothesizing the concept of psychic energy or cathexis.
Transcript of Berne's energy theory - Cathexis (Transactional analysis / TA is an integrative approach to the...
Berne’s energy theory
Prepared By Manu Melwin JoyResearch Scholar
School of Management StudiesCUSAT, Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114
Mail – [email protected]
Kindly restrict the use of slides for personal purpose. Please seek permission to reproduce the same in public
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Berne’s Energy Theory
Eric Berne developed a
theoretical explanation of
what happens when we
shift executive power and
our sense of real self
between one ego state
and another.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• Berne followed Freud in
hypothesizing the concept of
psychic energy or cathexis.
• He suggested that this energy
exist in three forms.
– Bound.
– Unbound.
– Free.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• Berne followed Freud in
hypothesizing the concept of
psychic energy or cathexis.
• He suggested that this energy exist
in three forms.
– Bound.
– Unbound.
• The additional term “Active
Cathexis” is applied to the sum of
unbound plus free cathexis.
Berne’s Energy Theory• To illustrate the difference between
these three forms of cathexis, Berne
used the metaphor of a monkey in a
tree.
• When the monkey is sitting on a high
branch, it possess potential energy –
the energy that would be released if
the monkey fell to the ground.
• This potential energy is analogous to
bound cathexis.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• If the monkey then does
fall off the branch, the
potential energy is
released as kinetic
energy.
• This illustrates the nature
of unbound cathexis.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• However, a monkey is a
living organism. Rather than
just falling off the branch, it
can exercise the choice of
jump to the ground.
• Berne suggests that this
voluntary use of energy is
analogous to free cathexis.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• Each ego state is
envisaged as having a
boundary.
• Free cathexis can move
readily between one ego
state and another across
these boundaries.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• In addition, each ego state contains
a certain measure of energy which
is resident within its boundary.
• If that energy is not being used at
any given moment, it corresponds
to bound cathexis.
• When the resident energy is
bought into use, the bound
cathexis is converted to unbound
cathexis.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• Berne hypothesized that an ego
state will take over executive
power when it is the one in which
the sum of unbound plus free
cathexis (Active cathexis) is
greatest at a given moment.
• The ego state experienced as real
self will be the one which at a
particular moment has the
greatest amount of free cathexis.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• At the beginning of my
discussion at work, I had
executive power in Adult and
also experienced Adult as my
real self.
• We can infer therefore, that I
had the highest active cathexis
and highest free cathexis in
Adult during this time.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• When I started paying
attention to feeling bored, I
move some free cathexis into
child.
• I continued doing so until that
ego state came to contain
higher free cathexis than
either my Adult or my parent.
Berne’s Energy Theory• At that point, I begin experiencing Child
as my real self.
• But I kept executive power in Adult,
showing that I still had the highest total
active cathexis in my Adult ego state.
• If the discussion had gone more longer,
I might have unbound more and more
of the bound cathexis resident in child
until finally that ego state had more
active cathexis than Adult and so took
over executive power.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• It is possible at times for a
person to have some active
cathexis is all the three ego
states at once.
• For instance, I might
continue to keep executive
power in Adult, exchanging
technical information with
my colleagues.
Berne’s Energy Theory
• While doing so, I might also
unbind some cathexis in Parent
and start criticizing myself
internally for not understanding
the task well enough.
• At the same time, I might
unbind some child cathexis and
begin feeling ashamed that I
was not complying with those
parental demands.
Thank You
Other TA topics available on slideshare1. Strokes - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/strokes-24081607.
2. Games People Play - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/psychological-games-people-play.
3. Structural Analysis - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/the-ego-state-model.4. What is TA? - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/what-ta-is5. Cycles of Development -
http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/cycles-of-developement-pamela-levin-transactional-analysis.
6. Stages of Cure - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/stages-of-cure.7. Transactions - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/transactions-33677298.8. Time Structuring - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/time-structuring.9. Life Position - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/life-position.10. Autonomy - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/autonomy-33690557. 11. Structural Pathology - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/structural-pathology.12. Game Analysis - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/game-analysis-33725636.13. Integrated Adult - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/integrated-adult.14. Stroke Economy - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/stroke-economy-33826702.
