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Abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine whether humor styles mediated the associations between the pathological forms of narcissism (grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism) and self-esteem in a sample of Israeli undergraduates (N =200). Grandiose narcissism was positively associated with the use of adaptive humor (i.e., self-enhancing humor and affiliative humor), whereas vulnerable narcissism was negatively associated with the use of adaptive humor and positively associated with the use of maladaptive humor (i.e., self-defeating humor and aggressive humor). These forms of humor were found to mediate the associations between the pathological forms of narcissism and self-esteem. Findings are discussed in terms of the role that humor may play in the self-esteem regulation of individuals with pathological narcissism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Generally, patients with psychiatric conditions (hallucinations, delusions) are in a state of suffering, but in some cases they may experience contentment. This mostly occurs in mood disorders (mania), delusions such as erotomania, megalomania, mysticism, visual and genital hallucinations, early influence syndrome, presbyophrenia and Korsakoff syndrome. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the psychiatric-psychological context, people with religious visions are, often prematurely, diagnosed as pathologic; and visionary experiences are taken into a clinical context by being labelled optical hallucinations. However, such a one-sided approach does not do justice to the phenomenon of the vision. On the basis of the visionary experiences themselves and by taking into consideration biographical and religious background, the present empirical study looks at the criteria of different iation of people with visions that are mentally ill and ones that are mentally healthy. By means of a partially structured interview, which comprised questions about the visionary experiences, biographical background, religiousness and the aftermath of the visions, and by further means of a questionnaire about religiousness, two groups with positively perceived religious visions were examined: psychiatric in-patients (group 1) and mentally healthy persons (group 2). Between the two groups, the results show some similarities and numerous differences which are related both to the visionary experience itself and to the biographical background, the religious and spiritual history and the impact of the visions on the life of the affected. Two key concepts - psychic inflation for group 1, frame of reference for group 2 - put the similarities and differences into a bigger context. Since the examination is wide-ranging with regards to content, and the surveyed sample is small, no generalization of the results is possible and further empirical research regarding this topic would be informative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The authors assessed whether subthreshold hypomanic symptoms in patients with major depression predicted new-onset mania or hypomania. Method: The authors identified 550 individuals followed for at least 1 year in the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Depression Study with a diagnosis of major depression at intake. All participants were screened at baseline for five manic symptoms: elevated mood, decreased need for sleep, unusually high energy, increased goal-directed activity, and grandiosity. Participants were followed prospectively for a mean of 17.5 years and up to 31 years. The Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Examination was used to monitor course of illness and to identify any hypomania or mania. The association of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms at baseline with subsequent hypomania or mania was determined in survival analyses using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: With a cumulative probability of one in four on survival analysis, 19.6% (N=1 08) of the sample experienced hypomania or mania, resulting in revision of diagnoses for 12.2% to bipolar II disorder and 7.5% to bipolar I disorder. Number of subthreshold hypomanic symptoms, presence of psychosis, and age at illness onset predicted progression to bipolar disorder. Decreased need for sleep, unusually high energy, and increased goal-directed activity were specifically implicated. Conclusions: Symptoms of hypomania, even when of low intensity, were frequently associated with subsequent progression to bipolar disorder, although the majority of patients who converted did not have any symptoms of hypomania at baseline. These results suggest that continued monitoring for the possibility of progression to bipolar disorder is necessary over the long-term course of major depressive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a common search for happiness on the part both of philosophy and psychoanalysis. The latter is additionally concerned with the removal of obstacles which lie in the path of the attainment of happiness. In this search psychoanalysis has applied the conditions of scientific knowledge, namely rigour, objectivity, and verifiability. Psychoanalysis works in two directions. On the one hand, it tries to eliminate the negative components of the mind, in other words the destructive, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, and narcissistic parts of the self. On the other hand, it tries to develop the trusting and creative parts of the self: happiness is an achievement of the human mind. As an alternative to the "bad" qualities of the mind, namely the negative feelings of hatred, resentment, jealousy, and envy, psychoanalysis tries to promote the "good" qualities of the mind, comprising of a positive inner world, in which every kind of positive feeling participates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work examines ideology from two points of view: the epistemological, which distinguishes science from ideology, and the psychoanalytic. Ideologies, with their absolute character, satisfy the need for certainty, in the face of fundamental decisions, and the need to give meaning to one's own existence. Whoever espouses an ideology out of a need for certainty will not readily give up this sense of security, even if confronted with rational objections. The authoritarian, narcissistic, aggressive, and destructive personality finds justification in ideology, and, in turn, ideology justifies power as domination. The analysis of ideology and utopia, from a psychoanalytic point of view, tries to understand the conscious and unconscious mechanisms which idealise, or demonise, social, political, and inter-subjective reality. When ideology is supported by negative feelings of hatred, envy, and rivalry, the quality of the mind deteriorates. These feelings are present in authoritarian, sadistic, megalomaniac, and destructive character structures, which can be found not only in dictators, such as, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, but in all those who commit inhuman acts of violence justified by ideology. The mental processes of demonisation of the opposing ideology and of idealisation of one's own ideology often give rise to much violence and injustices, causing inhuman suffering, especially in totalitarian states. Some maintain that man cannot do without ideologies because they represent the, normal or pathological, inner world. Utopia expresses a social dream, without, however, indicating the means of achieving the dreamed-of society. The utopian vision is frequently viewed as a schizophrenic approach to society. It allows an escape from the present, but avoids any form of control or verification. Both concepts, that of ideology and that of utopia, can be regarded as deviant forms of relationship with reality, as Mannheim (1936) believed. Jervis (2002) commented that utopias enchant us, but make us victims of the tyranny of the imaginary; their historical ending finally obliges us to confront reality. To sum up, from the psychoanalytic perspective, ideologies are equivalent to internalised, often idealised, parental figures which evoke the relationship with the parental figures of early infancy. In conflictual decisions, in particular, ideological processes are set in motion which imply the parent-child relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems posed in understanding and working through the patient's layers of self-criticism are challenging for both patient and analyst. In particular, this paper explores some countertransference phenomena related to underlying grandiosity embedded in self-criticism. For patients who are self-critical, analyzing grandiose elements may create further grounds for self-reproach or open up new modes of self-experience and freedom. The paper tries to focus on how the analyst's experience of the patient's self-criticism often shifts over the course of analytic work. It is important for the analyst to not be crippled by a fear of considering the relevance of underlying grandiosity in relation to self-reproach. Understanding this dimension of self-reproach can help elucidate why it is so durable and refractory to interpretation. The patient has a stake in holding on to this self-punishment because it perpetuates self-regulatory fantasies. These fantasies sometimes relate to the feeling that the patient will be more successful or better loved by holding on to aspects of self-reproach. Sometimes these fantasies are based in competitive or dominant strategies related to winning out or retaliating over parents or siblings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpersonal characteristics are core features of the psychopathy construct which have a unique pattern of correlations with a variety of external correlates. To improve the assessment of interpersonal traits, the current study evaluated the internal structure of the Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy (IM-P) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) in a large sample of jail inmates. A 17-item, 3-factor (Dominance, Grandiosity, and Boundary Violations) structure evidenced good fit in European American inmates. A second CFA demonstrated good fit for this structure in a sample of African American inmates. Moreover, a multigroup CFA indicated structural invariance between European and African American inmates. External validity was tested and demonstrated through positive correlations between IM-P factor scores and Psychopathy Check- list-Revised total and facet scores (R. D. Hare, 2003) and antisocial personality disorder symptoms and diagnoses. Modest correlations between Grandiosity scores and scores on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale-Revised (R. A. Zachary, 1994) were also observed. Finally, a step-down hierarchical regression was conducted to test for racial bias of the IM-P factor scores in relation to external correlates. Little evidence was found for slope bias, but there was evidence of intercept bias for some analyses. Implications and advantages of assessing psychopathy through a comprehensive evaluation of interpersonal traits are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses research on the development and factorial validation of short term Narcissism inventory (NI-20) using data from psychosomatic inpatients. It notes that Narcissism has a range of conditions, which include grandiosity-exhibitionism and vulnerability-sensitivity. The study confirms that NI-20 can be used to determine heterogeneous aspects of narcissism.

Copyright of Adicciones is the property of Sociedad Cientifica Espanola de Estudios sobre el Alcohol and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to show some thoughts on capitalism's axiomatic, which decodes all conventions of "uncivilized" societies, and fulfills the promises of despotic and "barbarous" societies, partially updating the despotic delusions of grandeur of the modern States. Simultaneously, capitalism creates a proliferation of regional and territorial fractures as well as globalization of all kinds. In this total decoding and trans-mutation of values, the flows (social, economic, and political) released by capitalism falter in front of a decoding that would lead, on the one hand, to a radical "de-territorialization" of the processes and, on the other, to a conservative resurgence and updating of these flows produced by the process of "destructive creation". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective:We surveyed child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs) to characterize how they diagnose bipolar disorder (BPD) in children.Methods:We approached by mail and then telephone 100 CAPs randomly sampled from five regions of the main professional organization of American CAPs; 53 CAPs were reached and agreed to participate. We asked about their training and practice setting, and asked them to name 10 symptoms indicative of BPD. We conducted descriptive analyses to determine how CAPs ranked symptoms, whether reports were consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria, and whether alternative symptom models might guide their decision making.Results:CAPs considered lability, grandiosity, family history of BPD, aggression, and expansive or euphoric mood as the most important factors in diagnosing BPD. Only 21 (39.6%) CAPs reported sufficient symptoms to meet DSM criteria for BPD (DSM-Yes status). DSM-Yes status was associated with participants' region, less expertise (≤10 years practicing child and adolescent psychiatry), and lower levels of self-reported confidence in their ability to diagnose BPD.Conclusions:CAPs vary in the symptoms they use to diagnose BPD, with most using a mixture of DSM and non-DSM symptoms. Expertise and confidence may lessen one's reliance on DSM criteria. Further studies are needed to understand CAPs' diagnostic decisions about BD and to develop interventions to support accurate diagnostic decision making and improve patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narcissism is a dynamic form of personality characterized by a pervasive sense of grandiosity and self-importance, and by a need to obtain continuous self-validation from others. Very little is known about its etiology and development. What factors (e.g., temperament, parenting experiences) and processes (e.g., transactions between these factors over time) cause some children to become more narcissistic than others? When does narcissism first emerge, and how does narcissism develop over time? This article describes a framework for research on the etiology and development of narcissism, and recommends ten research priorities. This research should yield fundamental knowledge and should inform intervention efforts to minimize the negative impact narcissistic individuals have on themselves and on others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construct of narcissism is inconsistently defined across clinical theory, social-personality psychology, and psychiatric diagnosis. Two problems were identified that impede integration of research and clinical findings regarding narcissistic personality pathology: (a) ambiguity regarding the assessment of pathological narcissism vs. normal narcissism and (b) insufficient scope of existing narcissism measures. Four studies are presented documenting the initial derivation and validation of the Pathological Narcis- sism Inventory (PNI). The PNI is a 52-item self-report measure assessing 7 dimensions of pathological narcissism spanning problems with narcissistic grandiosity (Entitlement Rage, Exploitativeness, Grandiose Fantasy, Self-sacrificing Self-enhancement) and narcissistic vulnerability (Contingent Self-esteem, Hiding the Self, Devaluing). The PNI structure was validated via confirmatory factor analysis. The PNI correlated negatively with self-esteem and empathy, and positively with shame, interpersonal distress, aggression, and borderline personality organization. Grandiose PNI scales were associated with vindictive, domineering, intrusive, and overly-nurturant interpersonal problems, and vulnerable PNI scales were associated with cold, socially avoidant, and exploitable interpersonal problems. In a small clinical sample, PNI scales exhibited significant associations with parasuicidal behavior, suicide attempts, homicidal ideation, and several aspects of psychotherapy utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay examines Hans Urs von Balthasar's little-known Foreword to the Christian esoteric text, Meditations on the Tarot by Valentin Tomberg. It argues that von Balthasar respected and advocated this ostensibly occult text because he found its capacious understanding of Christian faith as true gnosis similar to his own. The essay explains that both Tomberg and von Balthasar practice a rule-governed Christian esotericism whose goal is support for a fruitful ecclesial spirituality and resistance to non-ecclesial esoteric Gnosticism. Both Tomberg and von Balthasar believe that esotericism without prayer and institutional grounding can become narcissistic and self-righteous to the point of megalomania, and consequently it tends to become manipulative and coercive to the point of violence. Both authors maintain that authentic esotericism, by contrast, is marked by radical humility and non-violence; it is biblical, ecclesial, and committed to the unity of metaphysical reason and prayerful faith. The essay also draws attention to Tomberg's innovatively irenic approach to Christian anti-Gnosticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adicciones is the property of Sociedad Cientifica Espanola de Estudios sobre el Alcohol and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: The authors aimed to show how difficult the nosography seems to be between unipolar depression and paraphrenia, especially when treatments (even with ECT) were poorly effective. Mrs A. presented megalomania and persecution delusions and for years lived in a chronic delusional state. She suffered from delusions after three depressive relapses but she did not show any dissociation or cognitive impairment. The mechanisms were imaginative, intuitive, without hallucinations, but with little coherence, and delusions were constantly stable. This case brings to mind paraphrenia as an evolutionary state of a persistent major depressive period. It is as if a continuum exists between different kinds of psychosis. The report concerns paraphrenia as a secondary process with thymic disorders, discusses the place of chronic delusion in the nosography, and questions the concept of single psychosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Predictably, certain patients present treatment issues which resonate strongly with issues that are still problematic (unconscious and/or only partially resolved) for the therapist. This paper examines the author's professional/personal development over forty years, beginning with reflections about a countertransference enactment triggered by an acting-out African American child whose father, his primary caregiver, had abandoned him at age 18 months. The potential dangers and benefits of therapist grandiosity are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exploration of the use mind/body metaphors in a woman whose physical, environmental and psychoneurotic trauma culminated in an irreversible colostomy. She lived in a world of concrete symbols, her primary process damaged such that she could not create generative symbols to process her trauma. She regressed to a state of infantile megalomania, recoiling from the external reality of subjective others. Her introjective disorder mirrored her digestive disorder as she could absorb neither good objects nor good nutrients. The analytic situation has been an auxiliary fecal container and we work to bridge her mind body split with mind/body metaphors. As she reclaims lost development mastery, she displays a symbolized sphincter. As her capacity to form symbols grows, she rages and mourns for the loss of her fantasized ideal parents and her ideal body.The American Journal of Psychoanalysis (2008) 68, 177–188. doi:10.1057/ajp.2008.9 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Narcissism is a personality trait that can interfere with the application of evidence-based therapies for the eating disorders, influencing collaboration and the patient's willingness to take responsibility for participating in change. In order to understand and work with this personality characteristic, it is important to understand the cognitions that underpin the traits concerned. Design. This study examined the associations between schema-level core beliefs and narcissism in eating disorders. Narcissism was conceptualized in terms of both its core element (entitlement and grandiosity) and the narcissistic defences ('bad you' and 'poor me' attitudes). Methods. Validated measures of the different elements of narcissism and of core beliefs were completed by 80 eating-disordered patients and 70 non-clinical comparison women. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the core beliefs associated with each aspect of narcissism. Results. The pattern of association differed across the two groups. Among the eating-disordered women, different core beliefs were associated with core narcissism and with each of the two defences. Conclusions. Unconditional schema-level beliefs are associated with narcissistic personality traits in the eating disorders suggesting that these therapy-interfering personality characteristics might be addressed by modifying the relevant core beliefs, thus making it possible to work more directly with the eating disorder itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi is the property of Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: In « De l’angoisse à l’extase » (« From Anxiety to Ecstasy », 1928) Pierre Janet, who treated Raymond Roussel for several years, describes the « lay ecstasy » that Roussel experienced when he was young. He does this borrowing the pseudonym of « Martial » the name of a character in Solus locus, a play by Roussel that was performed in 1911 and which created a resounding scandal. Roussel copied his therapist''s account of his experience outright in Comment j’ai écrit certains de mes livres (How I wrote some of my books) a work destined to be published after his death. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses psychiatric comorbidity in bipolar disorder (BD) and its implications for course of illness, clinical outcome and optimal treatment. A National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) involving more than 58,000 individuals revealed that all of the bipolar participants with "classic" features, such as euphoria and grandiosity, had at least one other mental disorder. These comorbid conditions include anxiety disorders, about 40%, substance disorders including alcohol and marijuana abuse and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Abstract: During the l9th century, morbid lying and imaginative exuberance are pointed out in several forms of the mental alienation: Intellectual monomania (Esquirol, 1819), hereditary madness (Morel, 1860), megalomania (Dagonet, 1862 and 1876), grandiose delusion (Foville, 1871) — with ideas of filiation — and over all hysterical madness (J. Falret, 1866; Lasègue, 1881). Several historical personages reincarnated (false Joan of Arc, false Louis XVII) have likely suffered from these disorders. For the first time in Germany, Delbrück isolates an autonomous form of pathological lying that he calls “pseudologia fantastica” (1891). The French alienist E. Dupré (1862-1921) describes in 1905 the mythomania and its three forms: 1) vain (fantastic boasting, criminal autoaccusation, malingering); 2) mischievous (hoax, slanderous accusation, anonymous letters); 3) perverse (swindlers, seducers, wandering mythomania). Dating from 1910, Dupré characterizes the delusions based on “imaginative” mechanisms, with grandiose ideas, either chronic (autosuggestion, confabulation), or acute (often symptomatic of delirium, dementia, amnestic or mood disorders). In 1919, he considers mythomania as the basis of hysteria, through its “constitutional” (or “temperamental”) theory of mental disorders. These conceptions are accepted by Delmas and Boll (1922), Heuyer (“délire de rêverie”, 1922), Vinchon (1926) and Dide (1935), but criticized by the pupils of Charcot (Janet), the phenomenologists (K. Schneider) and the “structuralist” school (Ey). Kraepelin''s confabulatory and fantastic paraphrenias are compared with Dupré''s imaginative delusions by the pupils of H. Claude (Nodet, 1937). But the intuition is separated from the imagination as an autonomous delusional mechanism (1931), whereas Delay (1942) and then Guiraud (1956) distinguish confabulation from mythomania. Since the DSM-III (1980), the word mythomania is no more retained into psychiatric classifications. The clinical entity of Dupré is divided in delusional disorders (grandiose type), facticious disorders, antisocial, narcissistic and borderline personality disorders. On the other hand, pathological lying is nowadays differentiated from malingering, delusions, Ganser''s syndrome and confabulation. Its boundaries with histrionic personality disorder are not clear. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: This study examined the associations between eating pathology and narcissism in an eating-disordered group. Narcissism was conceptualized in terms of both its core element (entitlement, grandiosity) and the narcissistic defenses that are used to maintain self-esteem. Method: Seventy non-clinical and 84 eating-disordered patients completed a measure of the different elements of narcissism, and a standardized measure of eating pathology. Results: The eating-disordered group scored higher than the non-clinical women on the measures of core narcissism and of the narcissistically abused style (“poor me” defense). The pattern of dimensional associations between narcissism and eating pathology was highly similar across the clinical and nonclinical groups, with the narcissistic defenses playing the strongest role. The poisonous pedagogy style (“bad you” defense) was positively associated with restrictive attitudes toward eating, while the narcissistically abused style was positively associated with restraint, eating concern, body shape concern, and body weight concern. Conclusion: The narcissistic defenses are particularly relevant in understanding the eating disorders. Implications for future research are outlined, and suggestions are made about the need to assess and respond to these associations in treatment. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the use of weekly psychodynamically-informed groups on inpatient acute wards. The authors run inpatient groups with nurses as co-therapists. The structure of such psychodynamic groups is outlined along with the use of 'here and now' interpretations and enactments. Psychodynamic concepts such as projection, denial and counter-transference are described and their use in working with paranoia and grandiosity. The authors illustrate the use of these concepts within their groupwork and provide case material that shows how these concepts can be applied in the inpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the genealogy of Gaspar de Guzmán, Count Duke of Olivares of Spain. He was considered the favorite and most powerful figure in the court, and held light on little understood aspects of the early years of printmaking and publishing in the country. The concept for the production of genealogy was self-glorification, and its conception and endless detail reflect the mentality of Olivares, who was known for his megalomania and rambling discursions. Furthermore, the Count Duke's bibliomania and his desire to chronicle his achievements provided the context for the production of the London Genealogy.

In this essay, I will examine how the societal attribution of women's subordinate role in society influences their psychological health and results in the undesirable effect of broken relationships. I will argue that (1) Confucianism has been a major influence in creating a subordinate role for women in Korea; (2) the societal expectation of women's subordinate role contributes to the arrest in the development of the self in women; and (3) the lack of the development of the self among women brings further broken relationships by causing in women grandiosity, low self-esteem, and a pervasive sense of shame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) was used to treat residual delusions in patients with schizophrenia. Initially all patients (N = 6) reported delusions of various types, such as persecution, body/mind control, grandiosity, and religious themes. The group format allowed patients to share their experiences and beliefs, thereby eliminating shame and providing support and coping strategies: as well as allowing for peer-peer discussion of irrationalities and inconsistencies in each other's beliefs. After 13 sessions there was a statistically significant reduction in delusional conviction. unhappiness associated with thinking about a delusion, intensity of distress associated with delusion, and an increased ability to dismiss a delusional thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examined some of the reasons for confusion and controversy surrounding the frequency of diagnosis of bipolar disorder, especially in prepubertal children. Four case vignettes are used to articulate questions surrounding manifestations of euphoria and grandiosity, informant variance, diagnostic implications of medication-induced behavioral toxicity, and treatment implications of family history. Although extant literature cited addresses some of the issues, specific research is needed for definitive answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper the differing psychodynamic models of defences are outlined and compared with an attachment theory perspective in which affect regulation plays a central role. Behavioural and intrapsychic distance regulation (defensive exclusion) are seen as the main strategies for affect regulation and are the manifestations of the habitual pattern of emotional regulation in the relationship between the child and the primary caregiver. A new perspective on unconscious fantasy is offered, in which fantasies are seen to be actively created as defensive narratives to protect the development of healthy narcissism and to become integrated into a person's internal working models. Archetypal defences are explored from a developmental perspective and some neurobiological issues relevant to defences are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies examined the relation between narcissism, self-concept clarity, negative emotions, and aggression based on theoretical assumptions proposed by Baumeister, Smart, and Boden (1996). Narcissism and self-concept clarity were examined as predictors for anger, depression, and verbal aggression following ego-threat, which was operationalized by a bogus performance feedback on an intelligence test. The second study also examined the mediating effects of participants' negative emotions to provide an additional explanation for the aggressive reactions after failure. As expected, narcissism and self-concept clarity were significant predictors of negative emotions and aggression after failure. In accordance with our hypothesis, high narcissists with low self-concept clarity reacted with anger and aggression after failure, whereas less narcissistic individuals with high self-concept clarity showed feelings of depression and no aggression. The results also indicated that aggression was always directed toward the source of the ego-threatening feedback. Additionally, anger and depression could predict the aggressive response after failure but they did not mediate the relation between narcissism, self-concept clarity, performance feedback, and aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a view on the role of grandiosity in addicted individuals - its self-protective and self-sustaining functions. Starting with a discussion of a fictional gambler, as described in a play by Eugene O'Neill, it continues with a discussion of the dynamic of aggrandizement, drawing on theoretical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the hidden somatic passions that get laid down in the earliest bad fits (i.e., misattunements) and become the source of the highly resistant narcissistic behaviors that support and concretize one's identity. The omnipotent child syndrome is used to define these passionate, somatic, psychic attachments. The "Omnipotent Child," as I call it, is that part of the internal psychic structure that is the final common pathway of all the passionately held bad fits that characterize not only the person's object ties and attachments, but also h is or her most powerful internal psychic identity. The importance of the exploration and elucidation of preverbal experiences in the group are crucial to the unfolding of these unhealthy attachments. Recent infant research, coupled with neurobiological advances, supports the idea of the formation for these attachments. The author explores the theoretical underpinnings of this syndrome through case examples of the omnipotent child in the group process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a reply and commentary to the article made by Chris Evans regarding research in psychoanalysis and group analysis on sexual metaphors versus unconscious fantasies of grandiosity. This discussion arose from some deeper controversies that built up internally in the still ongoing major research project, Project Ambulante Gruppenpsychotherapie-Evaluation in the German-speaking countries in Central Europe. The author addresses the controversies and conflicts in the project only briefly in order to give the interested reader the necessary information regarding the rationale of the project and the quarrels that emerged within the project so far.

The overlap of the images brings the anteroposterior and horizontal relationships to the viewer's awareness, which naturally gives a touch of three-dimensionality to the islands. While he sometimes became unwell in reaction to trivial actions or changes in his environment, his condition has been generally stable and currently he visits a hospital in Oita Prefecture from a group home, where he continues his creative activities. The artist lost his father by suicide when he was five years old. [Extracted from the article]