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In a previous article (Brookes, 2003), it was suggested that a science devoted to the subjective data obtained in psychodynamic therapy would require classification of psyche, the object of study, as a hypothetical construct, a classic concept in the philosophy of psychological science. The present article argues for and outlines a necessarily new and unique scientific paradigm for psychodynamics by further suggesting (1) that positivistic science is not appropriate to the phenomenological data which psychodynamic concepts explain, (2) that retroductive inferences are preferable to inductive or deductive inferences in handling such data, (3) that the concept of meaning as scientific validation is more suitable to psychodynamic science than are the concepts of measurement and operational validation, and (4) that meaningful validation is best elaborated through the application of the concepts of erroneous meaning, of synchronicity, and of numinosity. These and other ideas are briefly described, and will be elaborated further in subsequent papers.

The term psyche is central to the field of mental health and dysfunction. And yet the term is seldom talked about directly, and is seldom elaborated by the professionals who function under its rubric. This article elaborates this term, and sets forth a definition for the purposes of psychology and psychodynamics as science in the sense of the establishment of psychological knowledge. Psyche is defined in this article as a hypothetical construct, as outlined in the classic article in the theory of psychological science by MacCorquodale and Meehl (1948). Psyche is to be distinguished from the concept of mind, which is identified here as a strictly phenomenological (subjective) concept. Use of psyche in this way allows it to be utilized in descriptions of its dynamics (psychodynamics), as a central concept in a science which utilizes phenomenological (subjective rather than objective) data.

Previous papers dealt with the concept of psyche as that dynamic field which underlies the subjective experience of mind. A new paradigm, psychodynamic science, was suggested for dealing with subjective data. The venue of the psychotherapeutic consulting room is now brought directly into science, expanding the definition of psychotherapy to include both humanistic and scientific elements. Certain concepts were introduced to amplify this new scientific model, including psyche as hypothetical construct, the concept of meaning as replacement for operational validation in scientific investigation, the synonymity of meaning and insight, and the concept of synchronicity, together with the meaning-connected affect of numinosity. The presence of unhealthy anxiety as the conservative ego attempts to preserve its integrity requires a deeper look at the concept of meaning. This leads to a distinction between meaning and erroneous meaning. The main body of this paper amplifies that distinction, and introduces the concept of intolerance of ambiguity in the understanding of erroneous meanings and their connection with human neurosis.

In two previous articles by this author, the concept of psyche was given legitimate scientific status insofar as a necessarily new and unique scientific paradigm for psychodynamics was elaborated, stemming from the idea that positivistic science is not appropriate to the subjective data of psychoanalysis. This paradigm includes the idea that the concept of meaning as scientific validation is central to psychodynamic science. The concepts of erroneous meaning, synchronicity, and numinosity were introduced as aspects of this new scientific paradigm. In the present article, the complementary relationship between psychodynamic and traditional science is explored. The concepts of synchronicity, numiosity, and meaning are elaborated, together with discussion of the phenomenon of anxiety as it impinges on these dynamics. The concept of erroneous meaning is in this article separated from the concept of meaning itself through the idea that the activation of anxiety separates the two.