Transactional Analysis
for
Beginners
By
Ajit Karve
About the Author
Ajit Karve BSc, BTA
Retd. Asst. Commissioner, CS, GOI.
is an old time graduate from the Mumbai University.
He retired voluntarily
from government service in 1995.
Thereafter he served as
Executive Head of Trimurti Group, Pune
from 1995 to 2007.
He qualified to practice
Transactional Analysis from
the Institute for Counselling and Transactional Analysis,
Kochi in 2007.
He is passionately in love with this emancipating theory.
He has researched TA Topics for past twelve years.
This book is an effort to spread TA through books,
android apps, blog posts and YouTube Videos.
He can be reached at:
Asha Institute
Shop No. 57, Bramha Majestic,
NIBM Road,Pune 411048. (India)
+91 9822024037
Links to Blogs by Ajit Karve on
Transactional Analysis
This Blog : TA for Beginners
TA Theory and Practice : TA Theory and Practice
Daily Dose
of TA : Daily Dose of TA
Books by
Ajit Karve
TA Basic Course
My Little TA Book for Learners
TA for Beginners
1. Introduction
Definitions of Transactional Analysis (TA)
Transactional analysis is defined contextually in many ways.
1. Transactional Analysis is a theory of personality and
systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and personal change. TA theory of personality
explains how we are structured as persons psychologically. The structural
components of personality are called ego states. A Parent-Adult-Child model
(PAC model) is used represent personality.
2. Transactional Analysis is a theory of personality. It
offers systematic methods for personal growth and professional development.
3. Transactional Analysis is a school of social psychology. In
this context it helps us to understand and interpret what goes
on within people (intra-psychically and intra-personally), between people,
and between sets / groups of people.
4. Transactional Analysis is a social psychiatry. Transactional
analysis helps to study the psychiatric aspects of specific
interactions or sets of interactions (transactions) which occur between two or
more individuals at a given time and place. Psychiatry is the study and
treatment of mental illnesses. Psychiatrists treat patients having mental,
psychological, emotional, behavioural and thinking disorders. They also treat
people, to relieve them of addictions, mood disorders, marital and other broken
relationships.
About origin of Transactional Analysis
Eric Berne (1910-1970), is the founder of Transactional
Analysis. Its launch is marked by the publication of
his article on TA, in the American Psychiatric Journal. He developed this
theory in collaboration with many contributors. They
all participated in the weekly San Francisco Social Psychiatry Seminars
during the years 1957 to 1964. They helped to test and develop TA when it
was new. Eric Berne was a psychiatrist. He trained to practice psychoanalysis
under eminent psychoanalysts Erik Erickson and Paul Federn. Berne founded
transactional analysis to provide cure to his patients and also to make
treatment economical - this in terms of affordability, duration of treatment
and relief from pain. Berne’s major contribution was to demonstrate that
mental, emotional, behavioural and addiction related problems are not
problems of the mind. but occur due to anomalies in personality structure and
function.
Transactional Analysis training in India
The Institute of Counselling and Transactional Analysis (ICTA), Kochi is
a premium TA training institute in India. It was founded by Fr. George
Kandathil (1910-2011) in 1973. Over a dozen internationally famous
Transactional Analysts have received their formal training under him. He is
fondly called the father of transactional analysis in India. Certified trainers
of ICTA provide training in Transactional Analysis, from locations in all
principal cities in India.
Areas of specialisation
The application of transactional analysis spans all areas of human
activity and association. Trainees qualify to use TA in one of four areas of
specialisation. They are, psychotherapy, counselling, organisational and educational
fields.
Training format
Training commences by attending a certified two-day Basic Course in
Transactional Analysis. Most people opt to train in Bernian Transactional
Analysis (BTA). The duration of this course is of three years, one year for Diploma
Level Training, followed by two years of BTA Level
Training. One can then proceed to qualify for Masters in
Transactional Analysis (MTA). This course is also of two years duration.
Persons who have secured MTA qualification are entitled to train others
independently. Short duration trainings / workshops are offered at the ICTA in
Kochi.
Goals and Objectives of learning Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis training is contractual. Trainees choose and
decide their own short term and long-term goals. These goals span as
many as ten life areas. Four of them are most common. They are personal,
financial, relationships with significant others, and becoming effective and
successful in one's occupation.
Areas in which TA practice promises significant change are:
self-management, other person management, relationship management, financial
management, goal orientation and achievement, being in control of life,
work-life integration and stress management, and personal, professional and
spiritual growth and development.
The goals of TA
are gaining autonomy; gaining capacity for generating
options and making sane and safe choices; capacity for level, open, honest game
free interactions; gaining capacity for decision making and problem
solving; and script free living. The attributes of a script free person
are mentioned in Chapter 8 of this book.
An overview of benefits
TA practice helps us in dealing with events, incidents, occurrences and
happenings in our day-to-day life; It empowers us to deal with
emerging situations, problems, difficulties, conditions of life, challenges and
conflicts; It helps us in resolving issues arising from relationships and
associations; We are able to achieve better work-life integration
and control stress; Home-makers gain proficiency in leading a
multi-role life;
TA also helps in managing urges, drives and impulses; managing thinking,
feeling and emotional logjams; dealing with broken, stressed, or challenging
relationships; dealing with pulls pushes of life; overcoming inhibitions and
compulsive behaviours; dealing with habits and addictions. Lastly all of us
have expectations of ourselves and of others. These relate to being recognised,
accepted, acknowledged and rewarded. TA helps in this area too.
Transactional analysis helps in improving self-motivation, goal
orientation, resolving problems and situations; becoming assertive instead of
being reactive; decreased expecting and increased asking for needs to be met;
improvement in capacity to express thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions and
ideas openly, candidly, honestly without shying or becoming aggressive;
improved capacity to say 'no' safely; constructive structuring of time;
improvement in freedom from frustration; drop in remaining logjammed in
feelings of anger, sadness, fear, anxiety and distress; improved social
associations;
Professionals benefit by using TA in training, coaching, mentoring,
counselling, team-building, parenting, child-upbringing, teaching, as also in
management, leadership and pastoral fields.
TA Beliefs and Values
Principal Beliefs and Values
TA beliefs and values are summarised under the title 'Philosophical
Assumptions of TA'.
1. People have capacity to be OK and interact with others OK-OK. What
this means is that people have an inborn capacity to possess and enjoy value,
worth, dignity, esteem and respect as persons. There may be moments
when they experience their lack or absence. However, the phase is temporary.
The capacities can be recovered.
2. People can think. The capacity to think, and make sane choices is an
inborn endowment. The loss of this capacity shows up when we are confused,
indecisive, face dilemmas, feel challenged, are at loss for words to express
ourselves, or feel incapable to respond appropriately. This capacity is
activated and enhanced through self-empowerment using TA.
3. Life is decisional. We face challenging situations and
experience being cornered, in our early life and teenage years. We made
decisions, and adapted to protect our survival. These decisions structured our
adult life. TA asserts that we can visit our past, make new decisions, improve
the quality of our life, and safely walk out of threatening or challenging
situations.
Auxiliary Beliefs and Values
1. Do no harm. This slogan is applicable in clinical, professional and
individual practice, as well as in lives of those who are using TA to achieve
change and development.
2. End situations sanely, safely, effectively, appropriately and by
generating win-wins.
3. Therapist treats, God cures. TA practitioners implement facilitation
enabling their clients make new choices in service of personal growth and
personal change.
4. TA believes in affording cure, as opposed to getting better. Cure is
explained by using the following three metaphors: "bringing down the
curtain and putting up a new show on the road"; "turning a well frog
into a sea frog": and "getting the prince to cast away his
frog-hood." Cure means getting the person to be reborn, to live life in
new ways, free of being trapped in unhealthy modes of thinking, feeling,
emoting, behaving and relating.
TA concepts and ideas
TA theory is largely free of jargon. It
generally uses terms that convey their dictionary
meaning. Six words / terms carry technical meaning, and require to be
defined. They are explained here:
1. Ego State: Ego states are states of the mind, or states of the
self. Ego States are defined as consistent patterns of thinking and feeling
that manifest as corresponding patterns of behaviour. Active ego states also
have a bodily component. For example, flexing of muscles may occur when
recalling a particularly disturbing event or when experiencing agitation, fear
or anxiousness, or when feeling distressed or worried.
2. Stroke: Stroke is a unit of recognition. Stroke represents the basic
human need for touch. This may be in the form of physical touch or its symbolic
forms of looking, listening, paying attention and acknowledging.
3. Transaction: Transactions are units of social intercourse. A
transactional stimulus and transactional response together constitute a
transaction. Transactions not only communicate information, views and ideas,
they are carriers of strokes as well. Transactions are vectors and occur
between pairs of ego states.
4. Game: Game is one of many ways of structuring time. They are sets of
interactions that have gone awry. A lull in interaction follows.
This lull in communication surprises both parties. Games are unhealthy
ways of generating 'hyped over charge of feelings', called payoffs. They help
in stoking the fire of emotions like anger, sadness, disgust,
embarrassment, hurt, pain, injury, insult, anxiety, distress, guilt and shame.
A game by definition is a series of complementary ulterior transactions, with a
switch and a cross-up, ending in generation of emotional upsurges called
payoffs.
5. Racket: Rackets are patterns of thinking, feeling, activity,
behaviour and transacting that are: inauthentic, repetitive, maladaptive,
manipulative used unawarely for attention seeking and for generating a harvest
of unhealthy feelings.
6. Script: Script is short for Life Script. Script is a life
plan. It directs the person's behaviour in the most significant aspects of his
or her life, in service of achieving the person's destiny goal. Script is
generated by childhood decisions, made under parental influence.
7. Social Action: Social Action is any activity such as looking,
speaking or paying attention, that results in acknowledging the presence of
another. The activity benefits each of the participants in some way.
TA Books
The books recommended for beginners are Transactional Analysis in
Psychotherapy and Games People Play by Eric Berne; Scripts People Live by
Claude Steiner; and TA Today by Ian Stewart and Vann Joines.
~~~~~
2. TA Theory of Personality (Structural Analysis)
(TA Personality Theory is the first of six theories forming the body of
TA Theory)
Introduction
TA Personality Theory is the first of six theories comprising the body
of TA Theory.
We are called upon to deal with people, events, happenings and
occurrences on the one hand and situations, problems, difficulties, conditions,
challenges and conflicts on the other. We are also called upon to deal with
urges, drives and impulses; incessant mind talk; thinking, feeling
and emotional logjams; confusion, indecision, struggle and mental conflicts;
and hurt relationships. It is an uphill task to find sane, safe, effective and
appropriate solutions. A healthy and well-structured personality helps us in
achieving this.
Personality is an intra-psychic mechanism which gets activated in
response to real or imagined internal and external stimuli. The
structural elements of personality are called ego states. Ego states are stored
units of assimilated experiences. Activated ego states, structure perceptions,
evaluations, assessments and response to stimuli.
Berne's theory of personality brought about a major shift in viewing
psychological, emotional and behavioural disorders. Berne proved
that these occur because of anomalies in personality structure and function.
Ego States
An ego state, simply put, is the state of self, at the moment
prevailing.
Ego states are defined as systems of thought and feeling, which upon
activation, manifest as related patterns of behaviour.
Ego states are also defined as consistent patterns of thinking and
feeling, manifesting as related patterns of behaviour.
There are three varieties / types / categories of ego states. They are
extero-psychic (Parent), neo-psychic (Adult) and archeo-psychic (Child) ego
states. Parent, Adult and Child are first letter capitalised to distinguish
them from persons. They are collective nouns. Though used in
singular, they represent a class of similar ego states.
Parent ego states are patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour, that
are learnt / borrowed / copied from own parents and parental figures. Parent
ego states are historical, and sourced from others. Activated Parent manifests
as related perceptions, evaluations, assessments and responses.
Adult ego states are patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour that
correspond to here and now reality. Adult ego states are contemporary and self-sourced. Activated
Adult manifests as mature, well thought and balanced response matching
objective perceptions, evaluations and assessments.
Child ego states are child-like patterns of thinking feeling and
behaviour. Child ego states are historical and are based
on stored experiences of one's own childhood. Activated Child
manifests as childlike thinking, feeling and behaviour based on childlike
perceptions, evaluations, assessments of reality.
Ego states are not imagined ideas or theoretical constructs. They
represent real people with a social identity and a postal address. The
existence of ego states is validated by tests based on empiricism,
phenomenology and behaviourism.
Structure and Function - Two methods of viewing personality
Personality is pictured and presented in two ways by using structural
models and functional models. Structural models are used to represent how
personality is structured across three epochs of life - infancy, childhood and
adulthood. They picture the dominant manner of perception, evaluation,
assessment, attitude and orientation at the moment prevailing. Functional
models are used to present descriptive aspects of personality. They picture how
personality manifests as behaviour.
Structure of Personality
A Parent-Adult-Child (PAC) diagram is used to represent personality. It
is called the PAC model of personality. It is a diagram constructed by
stacking three identical circles, one on top of another and named Parent, Adult
and Child from top to bottom is called the PAC diagram. The diagram when
enveloped by a sheath represents personality.
Structural Models of Personality
Three structural models are used to picture personality, across the
three epochs of life. They are called First Order, Second Order and Third Order
models of personality. In the First Order Model ego states are shown
as PAC without sub-scripted markings or as P2, A2 and C2. In the Second Order
Model childhood ego states in Child are marked as P1, A1 and C1 and nested
within the Child ego state C2, and the same in Parent (denoting the
P-A-C of Parent) are marked as P3, A3 and C3 and nested
within Parent ego state P2. In the Third Order Model infancy
ego states are nested within the Child in Child - C1. They are marked as
P0, A0 and C0.
Diagrams showing ego states of the First, Second and Third
Order Models are given below.
First Order, Second Order and Third Order Structural Diagrams are
shown below.
Personality Activation
As many as seven personality structures get activated in isolation or in
combination, in response to internal and external stimuli. The activation
generates a variety of thinking, feeling and behaviour combinations.
These result in related perception, evaluation, assessment and responses.
A diagram portraying these seven personality structures is given below.
Functional Model of Personality
The Functional model is used to picture personality, incorporating the
descriptive aspects of Parent and Child ego states. Parent manifests as Controlling
Parent (CP) and Nurturing Parent (NP). Child manifests as
Adapted Child (AC) and Free Child (FC).
The Controlling Parent manifests as life promoting Controlling Patent or
a life threatening Critical / Persecuting Parent. Nurturing Parent manifests as
a growth promoting Nurturing Parent or a growth denying Rescuing Parent.
Adapted Child manifests as Compliant Child or Rebellious Child and Free Child
may manifest as Free Child or Natural Child. Natural Child is an early era
aspect of the Free Child untouched by social rules, regulations and
stipulations.
Psychopathology
Pathology is concerned with reactions of living organisms to
pain. Psycho-pathology concerns itself with the study of the origin,
development and manifestation of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders.
It also helps to explain coping difficulties and conditions such as
neuroses and psychoses. The topic of psychopathology is covered under two
heads, structural pathology and functional pathology.
Structural Pathology
The Adult ego state of a healthy person is free of influence, of either
the Parent or the Child ego states. It responds
to stimuli with Parent and / or Child support in healthy
individuals. However, when either the Parent or the ,Child or both
influence the functioning of Adult, pathology results.
Three types of structural pathology are presented. They are
contamination, exclusion and constancy. Contaminations cause paranoia
and delusion. Confusion, indecision, struggle and conflict are milder versions resulting
from contaminations. Extreme cases are those of schizophrenia. Exclusions
result in thinking disorders. Constancy results in two ego states being
decommissioned and person operates from one ego state. These conditions are
explained in diagrams appearing below.
Functional Pathology
Release of 'cathexis' (psychic energy) activates ego states. Functional
Pathology results from cathexis being too thick or too free flowing. In the
first case the person is very slow in responding, or takes time, or is
unresponsive. In the second case, the person is like quick-silver, frequently
sulfating moods, temperament or responsiveness. Functional Pathology also
occurs because pores in the boundary maybe densely packed or far
apart. In another condition their size may be small, medium or
large. This affects the flow of free cathexis from one ego state to
the adjoining ego state.
Egograms
An ego-gram is a bar-graph diagram. It shows the relative strength of
functional ego states of an individual.
The egogram is constructed on the basis of intuited views and
thought-felt material. The functional ego states are: CP = Controlling Parent -
one that affords safety or finds fault; NP = Nurturing Parent - one that
nurtures and promotes growth; A = Adult - stands for logic and precision; FC =
Free Child - represents fun and being frivolous; AC = Adapted Child - a Child
that conforms and compromises;
A sample egogram is shown here:
Egograms are drawn intuitively, drawing the highest column first,
followed by drawing the lowest column in comparison to the highest column. The
other three columns may be drawn in the same way - first the highest of the
three, then the lowest of the three and last the fifth one. Egograms are useful
to monitor attitudinal change over time.
Structural Analysis
The TA Theory of Personality is traditionally covered under the heading
Structural Analysis.
Structural Analysis concerns itself with the resolution of internal
conflicts. It is done through diagnosis of ego states, decontamination,
boundary work and stabilisation, so that the Adult can remain in the
executive, in stressful situations. The process of structural analysis
results in clarification. Clarification enables the person to experience own
feelings and thoughts that originate in Parent and Child, and the manner in
which they influence the person's perception, evaluation, assessment and
responses to stimuli.
~~~~~
3. Auxiliary Topics
Introduction
This section covers TA concepts and ideas that
are fundamental in understanding TA Theory.
Life Positions
Life position is also known as existential position or basic life
position. We, as infants and children, decide in a primitive way, how we will
live out our life as grown-ups. The decision is unintentional
and mythical. The decision determines whether we will live the life of a
winner, or that of a loser or a non-dramatic (banal) life.
Life positions structure our attitudes, perceptions, evaluations,
assessments and responses to persons, events and occurrences, when we are
subjected to stressful situations. They are based on our self-image. The
components of self image are value, worth, dignity, esteem and respect as
persons. Life positions help to maintain, the psychological inertia and
homeostasis, of the psychic organisation. Psychological inertia is demonstrated
by resistance to change or shift from one position to another. Homeostasis is
demonstrated by the psychic system maintaining its stability. Save it to
say, that life positions mould and shape our life course, and our relationships
too. They go to build our destiny. This is particularly true in the case of
people whose life is dramatic.
Strokes
Stroke represents the basic human need for touch. This touch can be
physical, visual, auditory, interactional or for that matter as a mere
recognition of our existence. It satiates stimulus hunger. It is defined as a
unit of recognition. Studies have shown that stroke deprivation in
infancy, affects neurological, psychological and
emotional growth during growing years.
Strokes are fundamental units of social action. Social action is an
inbuilt drive to recognise the presence of another and to connect with, to
interact with, and to relate with people we encounter.
We all seek strokes because they have a survival value. People seek
unhealthy strokes, like those causing hurt, pain, injury, insult, when there is
a deficit of healthy strokes. Why? Because, such strokes are better than no
stroke at all.
Time Structuring
People avoid periods of unstructured time, to be free of boredom,
stereotypy and monotony. Therefrom arises the need for filling time, and
structuring time. Time structuring also helps in keeping the supply of strokes
flowing.
There are six ways of structuring time. They are Withdrawal, Ritual,
Activity, Pastime, Game and Intimacy.
Withdrawal means being with one-self. This may occur when we are alone, or being
engaged in self thoughts, when we are in the company of others. Flights of
imagination, intense mind talk, emotional logjams are all examples of
withdrawal.
Ritual means structured, formal ways of greeting others, or activities like
shaking hands, greeting with a namaste, wishing good morning, or enquiring
about the well-being of others.
Activity means spending time alone, or with another in the service of a goal,
objective or purpose. These engagements can be in the nature of
a discussion or work.
Pastime means spending time over past-times. It occurs when people discuss
topics of mutual interest. The topics do not concern any person in the group.
Some of the topics that are frequently discussed are about politics, the
country's economy, government, job scenarios, or sports like cricket, football,
tennis or some other.
Games are unhealthy interactions people engage, in order to gain a harvest of
intense painful or hurtful strokes. These are in the nature of anger, hurt,
pain, insult, injury, guilt, isolation or feeling
grandiose. Games mostly take place between persons in close
relationships and associations.
Intimacy is rare and occurs when we share our thoughts, feelings, emotions,
ideas, opinions with another / others candidly, openly, and honestly, without
put-downs. Discussing the purchase of a jewellery item with a partner is
an example of intimacy. This intimacy is not to be confused with
intimacy as is commonly understood.
Passivity
Passivity means inaction. Passivity is displayed when one does nothing
or does something inappropriately or ineffectively. Passivity in feeling,
thinking, or doing, disrupts the balance of social functioning. This results in
internal distress causing behaviour disorders.
We experience passivity when we are confused, stunned, embarrassed,
struggling for a solution, searching for words or irritated.
Passive Behaviours
Passive behaviours are manifestations of internal distress. They
occur due to passivity. They manifest as dysfunctional behaviours and
thinking disorders. 'Discounting' is the mechanism. Passive behaviours
show up as Doing Nothing, Over Adaptation, Agitation and Incapacitation.
Thinking disorders show up as generalising and over-detailing. They are
ineffective because some aspect of self, or of another, or of reality situation
is unawarely ignored.
Doing Nothing: In doing nothing one withholds investing energy in doing
something, or in taking appropriate action. To the
contrary, energy is invested in inaction. Spending time worrying instead
of calling up somebody and seeking help, is an example of doing nothing.
Over Adaptation: Being over-enthusiastic in taking up activity
unilaterally, is over adaptation. The person believes that it is his / her
responsibility for doing so. The person is praised by others for being
hard-working and caring. The person fails to seek help, assistance or
participation. A working home-maker is an example. She rushes to the kitchen on
reaching home, instead of taking some rest on arrival.
Agitation: Agitation constitutes repetitive, ineffective, purposeless behaviour
meant to discharge tension, instead of using the energy in problem solving or
ending the situation. Children chewing pencil ends, leg wagging, finger
tapping, pacing up and down, picking up the mobile phone under stress,
surfing mobile apps and smoking are examples of agitation.
Incapacitation and Violence: Incapacitation and Violence
results from the person discharging energy by harming self or another.
Self-isolation, banging one's head and hurting oneself, throwing items at
another, substance abuse, addictions of sorts, going crazy,
becoming aggressive or abusive, attacking others, causing personal
and material loss, or causing bodily harm are forms of incapacitation and
violence.
Thinking Disorders
Over-detailing and generalisation are two types of thinking disorders.
Over-detailing: In over-detailing the person uses unnecessary details to convey
information. "Actually, what I want to tell you, and I should have told
this to you yesterday, is that I am not coming tomorrow." Instead of
"Sir, I am not coming tomorrow".
Generalization: Generalization occurs when something related to one thing is viewed to
be of many. For example: If one person or a few persons do not follow traffic
rules we say: "the traffic is chaotic because people do not follow traffic
rules."
Thinking disorders also show up as escalations and fantasizing.
Discounting
Discounting means offering a thing for less or overlooking an obvious
fact. Discounting is a psychological phenomenon. In discounting, some aspect/s
of reality is ignored, overlooked, perceived larger / stronger / more
powerful / more difficult than actual or perceived smaller / weaker / less
powerful / easier than actual. In either case a distortion has occurred.
Discounting has taken place. This shift happens beyond conscious awareness. The
response is inappropriate to the existing reality situation. Therefore, it is
ineffective. Discounting is accompanied by grandiosity.
Discounting is unawarely minimizing, maximizing or ignoring an aspect of
reality, a capacity or an endowment which is relevant to ending a situation or
solving a problem.
Frame of Reference (FOR)
Frame of reference is a perceptual frame we use to see, view, evaluate,
assess and respond to people and reality situations. It is generated by
activate Parent, Adult and Child ego states in response to stimuli. Every
person perceives the same reality differently. Seated on the terrace of a flat,
one person in the group might like it for its airiness, another for the potted
plants, another for having morning tea and still another for placing a swing.
Distortion of reality and reality situations occurs because of imposition
of a frame of reference.
Frames of Reference (FORs) are of two types - Consensual and
Scripty. Consensual frame of reference is free of discounting
aspects of reality. Scripty frame of reference is structured by discounted
elements.
The frame of reference is the first to be activated upon a stimulus
being received by a person. It structures the person's perception, evaluation,
assessment and response to reality.
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is a psychological phenomenon. Co-dependency
results. One may depend on another's Parent, Adult or Child in
problem solving and ending situations. It is a natural phenomenon in children -
they are dependent on their care-takers for guidance and advise during
growing years. It is unhealthy when it happens or occurs in grown up adults. A
husband may depend on his wife (at psychological level) for love and affection
and the wife may depend on her husband for ideas and decisions. The wife has
contributed her Child and the husband his Adult when this symbiosis occurs.
Parent and Child competitive symbiosis occurs when people
haggle, to have a superior Parent or Child role in a relationship.
Redefining
Redefining is a mechanism script prone people use, in order to maintain
their established view of themselves, other people, and the world, in order to
advance their script. It occurs when the consensual frame of reference is
inconsistent with their scripty frame of reference.
A shift from script free living to script ridden living occurs due to
redefining. Discounting and redefining are intertwined processes and it is
difficult to segregate one from the other.
Redefining manifests behaviourally as passive behaviours and thinking
disorders, transactionally as tangential and blocking transactions,
structurally as Parent and Child competitive Symbiosis and functionally
by persons occupying Persecutor, Rescuer and Victim roles on the
Drama Triangle.
Psychological Hungers
Psychological hungers compel us
to fulfil their related needs. In case we
cannot fulfil the same healthily, unhealthy modes are used to satiate
them. There are six psychological hungers. They are: Stimulus Hunger,
Recognition Hunger, Structure Hunger, Position Hunger, Incidence Hunger and
Aspirational Hunger.
Stimulus Hunger: Stimulus Hunger is satiated through the
agency of strokes. A stroke by definition is a unit of recognition. When
healthy stimulating strokes are not available, people take recourse to
unhealthy strokes. Healthy strokes are pleasing, while unhealthy strokes are
painful. No strokes are also unhealthy strokes.
Recognition Hunger: Recognition is afforded by social
intercourse. A set comprising a transactional stimulus and a transactional
response together constitutes a transaction. Transaction is a unit of social
intercourse. It has components of communication and stroke.
Structure Hunger: We have seen that people structure time in
order to avoid boredom, stereotypy and monotony. Structure hunger is satiated
through the agency of time structuring. Time structuring is done in six ways:
withdrawal, ritual, activity, pastime, game and intimacy.
Position Hunger: We have an inherent need to
maintain our life position. It has its homeostasis. Position hunger forces us
to engage in activities or interactions that provide occasion to
maintain our life position. Thus, position hunger is satiated.
Incidence Hunger: Incidents provide physical, mental, emotional
and psychological inputs. Their depth, intensity, impact and staying are all
intense. Incidence hunger is satiated by occurrence of untoward incidents or
accidents from time to time.
Sexual Hunger: It is a natural drive in healthy adults to engage
in sex - a drive to penetrate / be penetrated. It satiates other hungers in the
process.
Aspirational Hunger: Physis affords growth and development. We
seek growth and development in the midst of a rough life. Satiating
aspirational hunger promotes physatic growth. This is pictured in transactional
analysis by a vertical arrow originating at the bottom of the Child ego state,
passing through the three ego states and exiting out of the Parent ego state. It
pictures growth, integrating the healthy aspects of the three ego states.
Psychological Trading Stamps
Psychological Trading Stamps are packets of stored feelings / emotional
hypes. They are 'cashed' by script prone people to push their script to its
payoff. As an example, anger converts to dislike, then to hate, then to
resentment and then into animosity. It then shows up as a physical fight, legal
battle, or homicide.
Psychological trading stamps are produced by sexualising a racket
feelings. Racket feelings are escalated feelings of anger, hurt, guilt, scared,
inadequacy; so also feeling stupid, wronged, cheated, baffled, surprised,
righteous or triumphant.
The payoff of games are psychological trading stamps.
Rackets are repetitive, inauthentic behavioural patterns, exploitative
by nature for gaining attention and furthering script. Psychological Trading
stamps are the currency of transactional (interactional) rackets.
~~~~~
4. TA Stroke Theory
(TA Stroke Theory is the second of six theories comprising the body of
TA Theory)
Introduction
Stroke represents an infant's need for touch. It is as much necessary
for grown up adults as it was when we were infants and children. We observe
that children seek undivided parental attention every twenty minutes. They
engage in mischief, when the same is denied. This need for touch is
fulfilled by adults by holding or shaking hands, an
affectionate embrace, looking compassionately, speaking to each other, giving
and receiving undivided attention, being praised or appreciated, being noticed,
being thanked, being heard attentively, and many more similar. These are
healthy modes of stroking. Prayer, meditation and social service also give
an yield of healthy strokes. If these are denied, or one experiences a lack of
them, recourse is taken to obtain unhealthy strokes. These are in the nature
of hurt, pain, injury, insult, embarrassment, guilt or feelings of
anger, sadness, anxiety, distress and the like. Strokes are symbolic forms of
touch.
Strokes have a bodily component. Strokes have survival value. They are
therefore sought out, for some stroke is better than no stroke at all.
When healthy strokes are not available people obtain unhealthy strokes. Stroke
deprivation leads to neurological, psychological and emotional disorders in
children. Stroke deprivation causes the spinal cord to 'shrivel up'. Marasmus
or Anaclytic Depression results.
Definition of Stroke
Stroke is defined as an unit of recognition. By unit is meant any
activity that promotes recognition. Physical touch, looking and listening are
the principal modes. Examples are given in the introduction. Stroke is
also described by Berne as being a fundamental unit of social action. Social
action is activity in twos and groups that contributes in generating mutual
recognition.
Stroke Accounting and Stroke Economy
Stroke Accounting and Stroke Economy are modes in which stokes are
given and received. Mentally healthy people have no inhibition in giving,
receiving, asking for, rejecting, discarding strokes and self
stroking. Mentally unhealthy people are in denial mode, in these
areas.
They manifest as stroking patterns explained in the table
below.
|
Mode |
Healthy People - Accounting |
Unhealthy People - Economy |
|
Giving |
Give the
strokes they have with them to give. |
They do not give the
strokes they have with them to give. |
|
Receiving |
They receive the strokes that
are given to them. |
They do not receive the
strokes that are given to them. |
|
Asking |
They ask for
strokes they need from others. |
They do not ask for the
strokes they need from others. |
|
Rejecting and Discarding |
They reject and discard
strokes that are hurting, painful or unpalatable. |
They do not reject and discard
the strokes that are hurting or painful. |
|
Self Stroking |
They do self stroking by way of
self acceptance, self praise, and boosting self value, worth,
dignity, esteem and respect |
They do not do self stroking by
way of self acceptance, self praise and boosting self value, worth,
dignity, esteem and respect. |
Stroking Profile / Strokogram
The stroking patterns generate a stroking profile. The same can be
mapped in a bar-chart like the one shown below. It shows the relative
stroke appetite in five areas of dealing with strokes.
Stroke Bank
Strokes may not be available all the time. People store strokes for
future use. Like for example a couple which has separated for employment would
retain happy memoires of their union during separation. The same is true in
children sent to boarding schools. Script prone people retain memories of pain,
hurt, insult, injury, embarrassment, guilt or feelings of anger,
sadness, anxiety, distress, hate, dislike and resentment.
Factors affecting retention of strokes
The quality, intensity, depth, impact and memory are factors that affect
retention of strokes. Our frame of reference and life position concerning the
event, person, circumstances in the moment prevailing also influence the
factors leading to retention of strokes.
Types of Strokes
We have seen that strokes can be physical, visual and auditory. Strokes
can also be symbolic. These strokes can be positive or negative, verbal or
non-verbal and conditional or unconditional.
Positive and negative strokes: Positive strokes are pleasant. They
make us feel nice. They boost well-being and enhance our self-image. Negative
strokes are unpleasant. They deny well-being and mar / dent our self-image.
Positive strokes may not last long. To the contrary negative strokes are
retained for a long time. It is said that negative strokes hurt the body down
to the tissue / cell level.
Positive strokes are pleasant. They provide a feeling of well-being,
boost our self-image and deliver a feel-good factor. Being attended to, being
recognised, being praised being upheld constitute positive strokes. Negative
strokes in contrast are unpleasant. They deprive the feeling of well-being,
deny a good self-image and also deny the feel-good factor. Being overlooked,
being blamed, being hung on the hook, being cornered are negative strokes.
Positive strokes have short retention. In contrast negative strokes have a deep
impact and their retention lasts for a long time. Negative strokes leave
trails of pain, hurt and feeling bad. Intense negative strokes hurt the body
down to the cell.
Verbal and Non-verbal Strokes
Verbal strokes are delivered by saying something. Non-verbal strokes are
conveyed by facial expressions, gestures, touch, a hug, kiss, pat, holding,
movements of hands, posture and pose.
Conditional and Un-conditional Strokes
Conditional strokes are given for a reason. Something said about how we
look, how we have dressed, how we have performed or done something, are
examples of conditional strokes. Unconditional strokes are given for who we
are. You are lovable, you are good, I like you, you are an asset, I hate you, I
despise you, get lost, are examples of un-conditional strokes.
When put together they generate eight types of strokes. They are:
Positive Verbal Conditional
Negative
Verbal Conditional
Positive Verbal Un-conditional
Negative Verbal Un-conditional
Positive Non-verbal Conditional
Negative Non-verbal Conditional
Positive Non-verbal Un-conditional
Negative Non-verbal Un-conditional
Other Types of Strokes
There are three other types of strokes. They are marshmallows,
counterfeit strokes and filtered strokes.
Marshmallows
Marshmallows are statements without any stroke content - bland and
non-stimulating statements which are obviously insincere. “Good Morning,
Sir. You look so fresh. It looks you had a good nights sleep.” is an example.
The person visibly looks drained and tired.
Counterfeit Strokes
These are pleasant statements with a hidden sting / pinch /
prick / pain / hurt causing content. “Hi young man. I see you are wearing
this ‘Alligator Tee Shirt’. It looks really good on you. I used to export
loads of these to India for the grey market.” is an example. Fact was that the
person had paid quite a sum for the shirt, and felt humiliated.
Filtered Strokes
Filtered strokes are distorted strokes. A well-meaning statement is
taken by the other in a distorted sense. Boss praises the subordinate
thus: “Thank you for your help. It made my task easy to implement. I am
now ready for the presentation and your contribution has been
immense.” The subordinate makes out something different. He says something
like this to himself: “All bosses are alike. All these statements are
meant to take advantage of me / my services later on. Now I will be used time
and again.”
~~~~~
5. TA Theory of Transactions
(TA Proper)
(TA Proper is the third of six theories comprising the body of TA
Theory)
Introduction
It is only a matter of time that two persons, when they come in contact
with each other, will say something to acknowledge the presence of
another. This interaction which incorporates recognition is called a
Transaction. A transaction is a unit of social intercourse. It aids social
action. It comprises a set of transactional stimulus and related transactional
response. A transaction originates in an ego state in one person and is
directed at an ego state in another person. Thus, they are vectors.
Transactions convey information i.e. they are carriers of communication.
Communication in turn has two components verbal and non-verbal. Transactions
also help in the exchange of strokes. Thus, they afford recognition.
Transactional Analysis Proper is used to distinguish this topic
from the whole of Transactional Analysis. It is so called because it is the
backbone of the body of TA Theory. Analysis of transactions helps to identify
the participating ego states and the nature of interactions helps in
implementing game analysis. It covers all the possible types
of transactions that occur between individuals. It is also a theory of
communication.
Characteristic features of Transactions
Each transaction comprises a Transactional Stimulus and a related
Transactional Response.
They are units of social action.
They are vectors.
They occur between ego states.
They carry communication.
The content of communication has verbal and non-verbal components.
They also aid exchange of strokes.
They result in mutual recognition.
They are impacting and touch both parties symbolically.
Transactions convey messages at two levels - social level (explicit
content) and psychological level (implied content).
Transactional Diagrams
Transactional diagrams are used to map transactions. A set of PAC
diagrams are used to show the personality structures of the two participating
parties. The transactions are shown as arrows. They originate in an ego
state in one PAC and are directed toward an ego state in the other PAC. The
transactional Stimulus is marked (S) and Transactional
Response is marked (R). S(S) means Stimulus at
Social Level and S(P) Stimulus at Psychological Level.
Similarly, R(S) means Response at Social Level and R(P) means
Response at Psychological Level.
Types of Transactions
Transactions convey messages at two levels. The message at social level
conveys what is said and message at psychological level conveys implied
meaning. For example: "Hello. How are you." may convey the straight
meaning or it may mean "Hello. I hope you are better today." The
respondent will accordingly reply. "Thanks, I am fine. And you?" in
the first case, and "Thanks, better, improving." in the second. Thus,
it is clear that the response is to the implied meaning unless the
respondent attempts to mask the reality.
Transactions are of two types - simple and complex transactions. In
simple transactions the messages are congruent. In complex transactions the
messages are incongruent. In the example the first transaction is a
simple transaction and the second one is a complex transaction.
Types of Simple Transactions
Simple transactions are of two types - Complementary Transactions and
Crossed Transactions. The vectors are parallel in complementary transactions
and crossed in Crossed Transactions.
Complementary Transactions: Vectors are parallel in
complementary transactions. The ego state addressed is the one that responds
and in turn addresses the originating ego state. Nine types of complementary
transactions are possible. The most commonly occurring transactions are shown
in the diagrams appearing below.
Transactions also occur between internal Parent and internal Child.
P - C: "Be careful. The road may be slippery after rains."
C - P: "Yes sure. I will be careful."
We experience such mind talk or incessant mind chatter when we are
disturbed, and also when we are hurt by what someone said or did. These are
intra-personal dialogues. They serve the purpose of reinforcing our 'self
- other person - world view', life position, 'self-worth-value-dignity-well-being' and sometimes
generate psychological trading stamps.
Crossed Transactions: Vectors are crossed in crossed
transactions. The ego state that responds would be different from the ego state
addressed or the response may originate from the ego state addressed, but may
address another ego state in the originator. Crossed transactions generate a
lull in communication. Communication can commence when one of the parties
shifts ego state, or changes the subject matter of the conversation. Diagrams
of the most commonly occurring crossed transactions are given below.
Complex Transactions
Complex Transactions are also called Ulterior Transactions. The social
content and psychological content do not mean the same. My wife asks me this:
"Are you free this Sunday?" If I say yes, she is likely to say:
"Let us go out shopping." or "Let us go for a movie." If I
say no. She is likely to say this: "You are so busy; you never have any
time for me." Both these convey hidden content in the communication. They
are therefore classified as complex transactions.
Complex transactions are of two types Ulterior Complementary
Transactions (Duplex Transactions) and Ulterior Angular Transactions.
Duplex Transactions: Two sets of complementary transactions are
involved. One set comprises a transaction at social level and the other set
comprises a transaction at psychological level.
Angular Transactions: A set of two messages is
released simultaneously. One is at the social level and the
other at the psychological level. The psychological level message is responded
by a social message.
Note: The social component is shown by an unbroken line and the
psychological component by a dotted line.
A: You are late. A > A; S(S)
Why are you late? P > C; S(P)
B: I missed the bus. A > A; R(S)
I am helpless. / No fault of mine. / I
tried. C > P; R(P)
A - This piece is the best we have. A > A; S(S)
You may not afford it. It is
twice as expensive A > C; S(P)
B - I will go for it. Give it to me. C > A; R(S)
We happen to use Ulterior Complementary Transactions unawarely and
inadvertently. They lead to game engagements.
Rules of Communication
Rule 1: As long as transactions remain complementary, communication can
continue indefinitely. Complementary transactions occur in congenial
environments.
Rule 2: A crossed transaction leads to a break in communication. A lull in
communication results. Communication can be restored when one or both parties
'shift their ego states' and attempts again, setting aside the previous topic.
Rule 3: The behavioural outcomes of ulterior transactions, is determined
by the content of psychological message (hidden / implied content).
Unhealthy Transactions
Gamy Transactions: Complementary Ulterior Transactions are
precursors to game. The interaction is broken with a crossed transaction. Both
parties thereafter become engaged in log-jammed mind activity generating
psychological trading stamps. These transactions are also called transactional
rackets.
Crossed Transactions: Four of the types of crossed
transactions are unhealthy. They lead to problems between individuals, groups
of individuals and nations.
Ulterior Transactions: These are unhealthy and exploitative.
They result in misunderstanding, and often times leave the parties confused.
Redefining Transactions: There are two types of redefining
transactions. Tangential Transactions and Blocking Transactions. In tangential
transactions the response answers a different question. In blocking transactions,
the issue is avoided by disagreeing with its content, purpose and meaning.
Racket Transactions: These communicate negative content by
way of 'noise'. Noise shows up as use of bad language, use of slang
words, raised voice, defending views, contorted facial expressions, hand
movements, and facial and hand gestures. Racket transactions result in unease
in the other, and lead nowhere. They sometimes occur independent of games and
at other times they are part of games.
Double-catch Transactions: The initiator poses negative content
unawarely. The respondent is victimised either way. Will you not get up now?
Will you not have tea? Will you not come here? The respondent gets trapped
either way whether he / she agrees or not.
Relationship Diagrams
Relationship diagrams are used to map relationships of sorts. Principal
types of transactions mapped are PTA meetings, spouses, lovers, teachers and
students, co-workers, play-mates, critics and their clients, psychotherapists
and their clients can be identified in these diagrams. Relationship diagrams do
not map two types of relationships, symbiotic relationships and gamy
relationships.
A few relationship diagrams are mapped in the figure below.
~~~~~
6. TA Game Theory
(TA Game Theory is the fourth of six
theories comprising the body of TA Theory)
Introduction
Game is a type of time structuring. It
furthers Script. Games are segments of Script. While script takes a lifetime to
unfold, games further script through the agency of payoffs. Psychological
Trading stamps are the currency of script.
Games are played unawarely. They are
played outside of Adult conscious awareness. Their occurrence
becomes known when an ongoing interaction unexpectedly goes awry. Both
parties are surprised by the lull in interaction. Then as a follow up, the
parties proceed to collect their payoff in the nature of racket feelings. Each
of the parties becomes log-jammed in intense thinking - feeling hypes.
Game is a unit of social action. It
means that games benefit each of the participants in some of six ways. The six
ways are called advantages of games.
Definition of Game
Game is defined as an ongoing series of
ulterior complementary transactions, having a switch and a cross-up, leading to
a predictable outcome called payoff.
Formula G defines Game
Formula G: C [Con] + G [Gimmick] = R
[Response] → S [Switch] → X [Cross-up] → PO
[Pay-off]
Note: + means evokes;
= means results in; → means leads to
Con is inadvertently released in an
ongoing conversation. It is a sentence with a hidden meaning. The Con hooks the
Gimmick in the other. Gimmick is a soft spot. The main topic of discussion is
forgotten. The discussion then moves to arguing over the misunderstanding. This
is the Response section of Game. Then one of the parties pulls the Switch.
Switch is a statement that puts the other in a tight spot. This happens
inadvertently and unintentionally. It takes both parties by surprise. This
constitutes the Cross-up. A break in conversation ensues. Both parties are at
their wits end, to come to terms. They both collect an yield of their favoured
racket feelings (stamps) as Pay-off.
An example:
Sam: Hi Timothy long time no see.
Timothy: Yes Sam. I have been busy.
Sam: Doing some great things. You are
always up to something.
Timothy: What do you mean?
Sam: What do I mean? I mean what I say.
Timothy: Shut up. You are always leg
pulling.
Sam: Leg pulling? Your mischief is
evident. Cheating people is what you do in the name of selling insurance.
Timothy: Stupid fellow with dirt filled
in your head. Get lost.
Sam does not know why he said what he
did. Timothy is embarrassed.
A cross-up follows.
Sam picks up ‘guilt’ stamps.
Timothy picks up anger, dislike stamps. They avoid each other and do not talk
about the incident in their social circles. A game has occurred.
Drama Triangle
Drama Triangle is a diagram that is
used to picture game moves. The three corners are named
Persecutor (P), Rescuer (R) and Victim (V). These are names
of roles, parties assume, in the dynamic. An arrow pointing outward shows the
departure from the dynamic with payoff.
In the given example Sam initiates the
game by assuming the Persecutor Role. Timothy is forced to occupy the Victim
Role. She then shifts to Rescuer Role. In the meantime, Sam continues to remain
in the Persecutor role. Then Timothy moves to Persecutor Role and Sam is forced
to assume the Victim Role. Both parties move out with their respective
Pay-offs.
Gains from Game Engagements
Games are played inadvertently, unintentionally
and outside Adult conscious awareness. People fall prey to playing
them because they are rewarding in many ways. Games help in maintaining
psychological inertia and its homeostasis. Games feed psychological hunger
components to the exclusion of aspirational hunger. Intense feelings generate
internal strokes that fulfil stimulus hunger needs. The game payoff is
impacting and difficult to erase with ease. The interactions fulfil recognition
hunger. Game itself forms one of the six methods of structuring time. Games
generate and foster pseudo-intimacy. They help to reinforce one's favourite
life position. Thereby they fulfil position hunger. They generate incidents of
hurt and pain which fulfil incidence hunger.
Ending Games
Games can be ended or avoided by:
Gaining awareness of a game in
progress.
Not blaming self or the other for being
the cause of the dynamic.
By not justifying the reason for
engaging in the game.
Moving to intimacy at switch.
Having the skill of going backward to
pre-switch point and ending it in a constructive way. This process
is called 'roll back and move forward'.
By putting the payoff in a drawer, and
then proceeding with the other player, as if nothing has happened.
Forgetting the past event.
~~~~~
7. TA Racket Theory
Table of Contents Click Here
(TA Racket Theory is the fifth of six
theories comprising the body of TA Theory)
Eric Berne has described rackets as
being feelings of hurt, pain, insult, injury, embarrassment, anger and sadness
that people work for. He describes racket as a feeling, out of all the
possible feelings, that is habitually turned on by a given
people, as their payoff in the games they play. Fantia
English describes rackets as feelings a child is allowed to have, which cover
up feelings the child is not allowed to experience or
express. The dictionary meaning of the word racket is: a dishonest or fraudulent
line of business; or a method of swindling for financial gain; or a cover for
extortion. Behind each racket is an authentic feeling which cannot be felt
in the current situation, and was not allowed to be felt as a child. Stewart
and Joines describe racket, to be familiar emotion, learned and encouraged
in childhood, experienced in many different stress situations, and maladaptive
as an Adult means of problem-solving.
Rackets are therefore patterns of
thinking, feeling, behaviour and transacting that are:
Inauthentic;
Repetitive;
Manipulative;
and
Maladaptive in ending situations and solving problems;
Racketing
While racket is an inauthentic feeling,
racketing is an activity in which people engage in unawarely, with the intent
of manipulating others, and with the objective of drawing their attention,
engaging with them in game, or for extracting strokes. The racketing activity
draws the adverse attention of others. The person generates a yield of hurt,
pain, shame, guilt, insult, anger, injury feelings, as racket feelings.
Racketeering
Racketeering is a behaviour or a
sequence of behaviours, used by racketeers, as a way to manipulate others, in
order to obtain their favoured racket feelings, through the mode of strokes.
Transactional Rackets
The term Transactional Racket, refers
to a system of feelings, thoughts, and behaviours, that are maintained by a
script-bound person, involving the substitution of authentic feelings with
racket feelings. Example: sadness instead of anger. These rackets are learned
and reinforced by parents in childhood, and then become ingrained through their
use in adult life.
Rackets refer to feelings that
substitute authentic feelings, often developed in childhood, when authentic
feelings are not accepted or acknowledged. These racket feelings are learned as
ways to gain attention or meet needs. They are "permitted feelings"
that replace the "authentic" or "primary" feelings.
~~~~~
8. TA Script Theory
(TA Script Theory is the sixth of six theories that comprise the body of
TA Theory)
Introduction
TA is a theory of life scripts. People unawarely use beliefs, myths and
stories to live by. The beliefs are beliefs about oneself, about others, about
life, about one's value, worth, dignity, esteem and respect as persons, and
about the world at large. Several limitations are imposed on growing children
of age of two to six years. Children are innocent victims, dwarfed in size, and
are entirely dependent on their parents. Besides, they have nowhere else to go
to or no one else to go to. Children are by compelled by circumstances, to
make choices to aid their survival. Creativity, innovation, imagination,
mythical thinking and out of the box thinking are at its best in those
years. The survival techniques become adaptations. Parents and other
elderly people in the house relate stories and fairy tales to children.
Children also get to read them from books and while watching TV and You
Tube videos. They happen to choose a hero in those stories, fairy tales,
videos, and cartoons. Some of the stories match their life situations. They
then 'in a way' decide what life is good to live - by fighting it out, by being
manipulative, by being mischievous, by being cunning, by taking life lying
down, or by being nice and complying. Thus, the decisions get embedded in the
psyche. The stories and decisions, structure their lives in adulthood.
Definition
Script is defined as an ongoing program, developed in early childhood,
under parental influence, which directs the individual's behaviour, in the most
important aspects of his adult life. ‘Ongoing’ means always moving
forward, with an element of irreversibility; 'program' means there is a well
laid out plan. Its skeleton can be found in a specific fairy tale; 'under parental
influence' means during interactions with parents; 'directs' means is ordered
to comply; 'important aspects' means significant events of life.
Berne asserts that: "script is a psychological force, which propels
affected persons toward their destiny, regardless of whether they fight it, or
say it is of their own free will".
Relevance
TA is a theory meant to treat people afflicted by mental, psychological,
emotional, behavioural, relationships related isues, addictions and habits,
aggressiveness and accident proneness, homicidal and suicidal tendencies, as
also depression and related problems. Besides these,
adjustment and accommodating difficulties and socially
unacceptable behaviours too are treated. Script is to be viewed in that
context.
Script and Personality Anomalies
Script and personality are two faces of the same coin. Personality
anomalies structure the manner in which the afflicted persons get to unawarely
perceive, evaluate, assess and respond to the prevailing reality, events,
people, and situations. Besides, to problems, difficulties, conditions and
challenges of life. Unhealthy stroking patterns, engaging in unhealthy
transactions, games and rackets, are the manifestations observed in script
prone and script ridden people.
Script has survival value and is psycho-cybernetic
Script leads people to achieve their life goal. It generates peoples'
destiny. It is psycho-cybernetic, meaning that the goal (script payoff)
determines the pace, direction and nature of events that contribute to it being
achieved over a life-time.
Why and when does script ridden-ness occur
Script activation occurs instantaneously when the presenting frame of reference
is inconsistent with the person's frame of reference.
Four other activations occur as well. Using tangential and blocking
transactions, using passivity and passive behaviours, assuming roles on drama
triangle, and engaging in competitive Parent-Child symbiotic relating.
Types of Scripts
Scripts are classified as being Winner, Loser and Non-winner
Scripts. People with winner scripts achieve their goals by actively
pursuing them. This despite problems, difficulties and failures. They have a
'Plan B' in place to switch to. People with loser scripts are driven to fail.
They have no Plan B in place to pick up strings and proceed to achieve
rewarding goals. Losers have hurt or painful relationships and ups and downs in
life. People with Non-Winner Banal scripts live uneventful lives. They are
neither high achievers nor are they pathetic losers.
Process Scripts
Six types of process scripts determine life-styles of script prone people. They
are named: Until, After, Never, Always, Almost I, and Almost II process
scripts.
Until Script: The person defers actions till such time some other task
has been performed.
After Script: Their script is marked by a consistent pattern of fun,
then atonement; joy then misery; pleasure then pain;
Never Script: Their life is marked by being unable to enjoy things of
life, although they are within reach. A life force prevents them from being
able to reach out and enjoy.
Always Script: Their life is marked by remaining busy, as yet not achieving
satisfactory success. They expend energy in trying, instead of for achieving.
Almost I Script: Their life is marked by moving to achieve success, and
then something happening to derail the effort, when success is close at hand.
They then start all over again. This script is also called over and over.
Almost II Script: Their life is marked by having several tasks in hand.
It starts by having an attractive proposition when they are half-way down to
achieve the the first task, they take up the second task and soon the third,
till such time they have loads of half completed jobs in hand.
Characteristic Features of Script-ridden people
Script prone people justify their views, perceptions, beliefs, values
and principles as being the only valid ones. They are also protective about
them. Their behaviour escalates when questioned. They are quick to reach to
conclusions. They have fixed ideas about their life and the way it is moving.
Antonym of Script
Script-free people find themselves enjoying freedom and flexibility in
their manner of thinking, feeling, behaving, as well as assessing, evaluating
and responding to reality, people and life situations. They are driven to
achieve sane, safe, effective and win-win generating outcomes. They are able to
forget painful, hurting, embarrassing events and outcomes resulting from
interactions with others. They are able to restore life on track the many times
it slips.
Patterns that help identify script prone people
Patterns: Repeating patterns of events, incidents, occurrences,
mistakes, slip-ups, accidents, losses and strained / broken relationships.
Smarting frequently in episodes of hurt, pain, injury, loss and failures.
Thinking: Script prone people display thinking disorders and
pursue fantasies. They frequently get log-jammed in episodes of down-spin
thinking / feeling. Facing confusion, indecision and struggle to
put life on track is another indicator.
Feeling: Script prone people express racket feelings. They also get log-jammed in
escalated racket feelings and as a result convert them into psychological
trading stamps. They find it difficult to revert to a stable emotional state
after a particularly disturbing event or interaction.
Behaviours: Script prone people engage in behaviours that are
recurring, inauthentic and manipulative. The behaviours lead to causing self /
other person material / mental / psychological / emotional / financial harm or
hurt. They justify their actions and behaviours as being appropriate and the
correct ones.
Other Indicators:
Victimised by Injunctions Injunctions are don't messages. They
stop the affected persons in their track. There are twelve injunctions that
impact existence, being sane, thinking, feeling, being close, being loved,
being successful, being important, experiencing belonging and enjoying one's
sexuality.
Compulsive Behaviours: Script prone people display some
of these four behaviour patterns: Being Perfect, Being Nice and Pleasing, Being
Strong and Trying Hard.
Passivity and Passive Behaviours Script prone people display passivity
and the many types of passive behaviours.
Rackety Behaviours Rackety behaviours are marked by being
repetitive, intense, and escalated. They display stylised
expressions of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
Escalation of Somatic Ailments
Justification of Behaviour as being the only correct and appropriate one
Implement Unicorn and Procrustes Unicorn is the tendency to expand the
proposition so that it becomes applicable to every aspect of a topic, subject
or hypothesis. Procrustes is the tendency to use justifications to make
reasoning fit one’s proposition.
Multi-level Manifestations of Script
Script manifests at many levels. They are intra-psychic, intra-personal,
inter-personal, psychological, emotional, interactional, social, behavioural
and somatic levels.
Intra-psychic Manifestation Ego state pathology and discounting
constitute occurrences at intra-psychic levels. Feelings and Emotional
lock-jams resulting in smarting in feelings and emotions are also intra psychic
manifestations.
Intra-personal Manifestation Intense mind talk constitutes its
intra-personal manifestation.
Psychological Manifestation Affects of mind, altered thinking and
feeling patterns constitute the psychological manifestations.
Emotional Manifestation Emotional disturbances, challenges and
affects of mind constitute emotional manifestations.
Interactional Manifestation Unhealthy simple and complex
transactions constitute its interactional manifestations.
Social Manifestation 'Pastimes', 'Games' and 'Racketing'
constitute its social manifestations.
Behavioural Manifestation 'Racketing' and other observable
activation across all the aforementioned levels constitute its behavioural
manifestations.
~~~~~
9. Qualities and Attributes of a Script-free Person
A script free person has the following attributes and qualities:
1. Autonomy: An autonomous person has the capacity for conscious
awareness and a capacity to generate a variety of responses to choose from. It
also includes use of options and capacity for intimacy. Intimacy is marked by
the ability to express one's thinking, feelings, opinions freely, candidly,
openly and without put-downs.
2. Script Free Living: Script free living is having the capacity to be
in control of one's own life and have awareness for the surfacing of script
directives. Script Free Living is also manifest by person doing no harm - not
to self, not to another, not material, not financial, and also by generating
sane, safe, effective, appropriate, win-win outcomes.
3. Decision Making and Problem Solving: These are evident when a person
is free of discounting.
4. Capacity for Adult Reality Testing: Reality testing is manifest when
a person is largely free of pathology. The person is able to test subjective
view of reality on the touchstone of objective reality.
5. Capacity to spend time in solitude and in the company of others with
equal ease.
6. Attitude: The person is able to wait patiently for a better time when
things are not favourable or not going right. This means that the person is
able to wait, delay and postpone acting on urges, drives and impulses. He is
however able to make haste when the time is opportune.
7. Free of Power Plays: The person upholds OK-ness in self as also in
others during normal, stressful and challenging times.
8. Own good and general good: The person is conscious about his
responsibilities toward himself, his family, his profession, his clan and his
nation without overlooking his responsibilities toward others.
9. Upholds universal values: The person upholds universal values of
citizenship and sustainability. He does work in ways which causes minimum
ripples in the lives of others.
10. Freedom from Psychological Time Engagements, Thinking Feeling and
Emotional lock-jams, Sense of Purpose: These attributes are self-explanatory.
He / she is also loving, considerate and inclusive in his approach to life.
~~~~~~~~~~
A Poem
Here is a
lovely poem by Nortia Nelson in five parts printed toward the end
of the T.A.
Today book.
I
I walk down
the street
There is a
deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in it
I am lost …… I
am hopeless
It takes me
forever to find out
II
I walk down the
same street
There is a
deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I
don’t see it
I fall in it
again
I can’t
believe that I am in the same place
But, it isn’t
my fault
It still takes
me a long time to get out
III
I walk down
the same street
There is a
deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it is
there
I still fall
in it! It is a habit
My eyes are
open
It is my fault
I get out
immediately
IV
I walk down
the same street
There is a
deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around
it
V
I walk down
another street
It picturises
the T.A. learning process of most practitioners.
That of
committing the same mistakes again and again.
After a long
time the person proceeds to do work without committing mistakes.
~~~~~~~
