Review of the Methods

Recapitulation

Here is the matrix summary as initially provided. For more detailed introductory accounts of the various methods/existences, click on the links in the second column.

L' Method
Existence
 Preoccupation
(Function)		 Core Stabilizer Personal Commitment Psychosocial Emphasis Sustaining Processes
L'7 Transpersonal
To embrace
life's spiritual dimension.		 Faith To open oneself to union with humanity and the Cosmos. Experiencing ultimate values. Being guided & in harmony with the flow of events.
L'6 Social
To contribute purposefully. Participation To worthwhile projects for a group. Carrying responsibility. Organisation &
management
L'5 Relational To cultivate meaningful relationships. Attunement To recognize the needs and deeper qualities of others. Gratifying each other's wishes. Mutuality &
dialogue
L'4 Individual
To maintain self-esteem. Respect To finding and realizing a «true self». Achievements and self acceptance. Self-assertion &
self-protection
L'3 Emotional To have recognizable feelings. Attachment To value others in terms of exchanges of feelings. Care-giving, warmth and meeting needs. Containment, modification &
relocation of feelings
L'2 Vital  To keep fit. Concentration To physical strength, suppleness and visceral well-being. Feeling invigorated and exhilarated. Genuine exertion via postures and movement.
L'1 Sensory To keep regular contact with others. Stimulation To membership of social circles and networks. Instigating unequivocally positive interactions. Attentiveness &
pleasurable sensuality.

Here are some more features of the self/existence that have been presented or proposed at various points.

L' Method
Existence 		Context Self
Quality		 Self
Descriptor		 Self
Anxiety		 Self
Disorder
L'7 Transpersonal Cosmos Being - Humanity
God Within		 Enlightened
being		 n/a "Sickness of the soul"
L'6 Social Groups Roles based in culture, institutions & groups. Socio-political
being		 Alienation Traumatized personality
L'5 Relational
Personal bonding Dependent on relationships Interpersonal
being		 Guilt anxiety Neurotic personality
L'4 Individual
Autonomy Self-concept/images
True/False Self		 Self-contained
being		 Shame anxiety Narcissistic personality
L'3 Emotional Atmospheres Part-person
Emotional roles		 Sensitive
being		 Separation anxiety Borderline personality
L'2 Vital Bodily States Biological vitality
Physical invigoration
 Active
being		 Death anxiety Psychopathic
personality
L'1 Sensory Socio-physical stimuli Materially embedded Receptive
being		 Persecutory anxiety Psychosomatic personality

TET Revelations

These 7 Methods have been plotted on a TET (Typology Essences Table) whose axes form the psychosocial context for maintaining a motivated presence in social situations. This context is defined by the need to handle inner mental states (Y-axis: psycho-), and to handle others with whom interaction is required (X-axis: -social).

The result of this plot is to reveal a range of further comparisons and properties that emerge from:

See a review of these features.

Evolution of Human Consciousness

A child's mental stability depends primarily on the emotional sensitivity of a caring environment. However, it is possible to trace the emergence of rudiments of these stabilization methods from early infancy through to adolescence.

ClosedExtract from Ch.7:

Each method of stabilization can be seen as a distinct paradigm for existence. Each therefore generates distinctive theories of the mind or self, whose adherents clash. These different paradigms became apparent to me initially in regard to the intense theoretical conflicts within psychoanalytic societies. Investigation of other non-psychodynamic therapeutic techniques revealed further theories.

It seems that every psychological approach to therapy, regardless of its theoretical claims, is based primarily on one of the 7 methods.

The marked difference between psychotherapy and psychoanalysis is something else. Its nature emerged during one of the investigations in the Architecture Room: See summary.

ClosedPsychoanalytic Schools

Sigmund Freud's contributions are numerous, but in this area his focus was primarily on the "neurotic personality" with symptoms, inhibitions and problems in relationships based on repressed infantile wishes that could not be gratified: i.e. L'5.

Carl Jung's analytical psychology and Roberto Assagioli's psychosynthesis both emphasized the spiritual dimensions of life: i.e. L'7: an area that Freud was not personally comfortable with and which he feared would lead to scientific rejection of his ideas.

Melanie Klein and Wilfred Bion focused on part-objects and the containment of emotions i.e. L'3. Their approach is essential to handle borderline personalities.

Donald Winnicott in the UK and Heinz Kohut in the USA focused on individuation, and narcissistic personalities i.e. L'4.

Warren Kinston and Jonathan Cohen drew on all the above theories, but saw actual trauma as the basis for understanding repression and narcissism. We used this theory to clarify the psychoanalytic process and its failures and catastrophes i.e. L'6. Read more here.

ClosedLloyd de Mause

ClosedKen Wilber

Ken Wilber's integral philosophy as expounded in many books has clarified, among many other things, details of Transpersonal existence-L'7. He has identified its 4 internal forms, which surely correspond to the Style Hierarchy. If so, it will be applicable to each of the other Methods and generate a 28-Level Q-expansion with 7 Subsidiary Typologies.

He places transpersonal states in the context of developmental psychology theories and his own preoccupation with spirituality, and does not notice the classification described here. One consequence is that transpersonal existence becomes the highest and best state: a view that contrasts sharply with the taxonomic position of equal value for all Types subject to contextual demands.

For a short account of further differences between this Taxonomy and Wilber's philosophy, see this blog.

Potentials for Misunderstanding

If we look deeply into ourselves, it is likely that one or two of the methods feel more real, more necessary, more practical, higher and/or more beneficial. It is these that we use for personal growth and often to shape important life choices.

Those who are stabilized in one way may dismiss or devalue different methods, as unnecessary, unhelpful, irrelevant or misconceived. They may go further and seriously advise others to emulate their own preference. This is unlikely to be helpful.

All methods exist. All are needed by some. Society seems to agree, because it recognizes them all in the form of the natural moral institutions (see Ch. 7).

A major problem in conversations trying to be helpful lies in the use of everyday terms that have different meanings, much as found with the decision methods.

All approaches must deal with the same basic issues of human living: self-esteem, relationships, self-assertion, distress, satisfaction and so on. But similar words can mean almost entirely different things and have radically different implications in the different approaches.

Examples Closed: 

  • Contact requires exposure to some sort of pleasant sensory stimulation for Sensory existence-L'1, whereas it needs to involve the transfer of feelings for Emotional existence-L'3. Contact should not be too personal and be about group participation or projects in Social existence-L'6.
  • A relationship in Vital existence (L'2) is about doing something active together with someone, whereas it is about bonding for mutual gratification for Relational existence (L'5). Relationships are convivial, conventional and numerous in Sensory existence (L'1).
  • Relaxation involves quietness and solitude for Transpersonal existence-L'7; it requires company and stimulation for Sensory existence-L'1; it requires a holiday from group demands for Social existence-L'6.
  • Self-assertion is about maintaining faith for Transpersonal existence (L'7), but about ensuring esteem and respect from others for Individual existence (L'4). Emotional existence (L'3) differs again in that self-assertion entails the vigorous expression of current feelings.

In the above examples, not all methods and hence not all shades of meaning have been explored in each case.

More...

Originally posted:  15-Oct-2014. Last updated: 5-Feb-2016.