Ego state is a fundamental idea of Transactional analysis and also derived I feel from experiences in gestalt psychology.
An egostate is a coherent group of thoughts ,feelings and behaviour that occur together. at any moment any one such egostate is observable as active.
on observing people in groups and individually over a long period , psychiatrists like Fritz Perls and Eric Berne categorised them into different categories. these categories are common to all human beings.
Eric Berne called them -the Parent type egostates,the Child type egostates and a third category a neutral type called the Adult type egostates.
(Dr.Eric Berne)
HOW ARE THE EGOSTATES PRODUCED?:
the egostates are produced as a result of personal experience.
for eg the Parent egostates result from direct copying of our real life parents and parent figures like teachers.so we tend to repeat what our parents said, did and felt --these are basically faithful recordings of our parents that we replay from time to time.so basically a replay of past recordings.
the child egostates are the person's real life experiences as a child they include three broad categories of experiences-
the third category of experiences which are there are called Adult ego states which are our experiences of real life situations and problem solving based on what is going on now both within and in the environment.
this egostate operates exactly like a computer which calculates the best line of action after weighing the pros and cons from the available options.
All the three egostates are present and active in all healthy human beings ,but clinical observation tells that only one egostate will be predominantly active with other egostates being temporarily silent, subservient or inactive.
the Adult egostate carries a varying degree of internal self awareness. sometimes for eg the Adult egostate maybe unduly influenced by the Parent ego state -and the person may come under the grip of some fixed ideas or prejudices that lack any real basis.
sometimes the Adult egostate maybe unduly influenced by the child egostate resulting in some false belief for eg that the policeman is actually going to catch me --! a feeling of unreasonable fear without foundation in reality.
these influences on the Adult egostate are called by transactional analysts as "contaminations"- actually it is true that these act as contaminations in the clear perception of reality as it is.
The healthy Adult egostate functioning without contamination, percieves reality or here &now as it is without colouring it with any fixed ideas or prejudices.
The healthy Adult is also aware of the queiscent Parent and child egostates and acts in a manner acceptable to the total life experience of the person.
if the content of the parent egostate is out of tune with reality the Adult egostate can modify and update the content of the Parent egostate. similarly the empowered Adult ego state can become aware of childlike strivings, needs and hunger of the child within .this is a technical way of saying that the mature adult is aware of his feelings and needs and does not discount them.
thus the Adult egostate when integrated with the childhood egostates and the parent egostates becomes the road to a mature and satisfying human life.
THE POSITIVE VALUES IN EACH TYPE OF EGOSTATE:
Parent egostate: the parent is the repository of a healthy conscience that encourages honesty and truth, and the positive values of mankind -peace,wisdom, kindness,warmheartedness, faithfulness and trust.a friendly parent teaches his child to look after his needs and express his feelings by way of modelling on his own behaviour in an appropriate manner with consideration and regard for others.the parent egostate also gives guidance regarding meaning and purpose of life again mainly by way of modelling-that is- what or how the parent lives their life.
(here are the images of two of my teachers who influenced me deeply by their affectionate way of teaching)
(Fr.George Kandathil) (Prof.George Vithoulkas)
Child egostate:the child within is both past and present in the form of biological and instinctive strivings.when left to self the natural child within is not a purely aggressive being but also affectionate . a healthy child is a balance of aggresive and affectionate tendencies just as an animal in the wild. the child egostate is the elan-vitale the source of vitality and controller of life energy.the fun and joy,the zest for life and the purely physical sense of well-being comes from the child within.
Adult egostate: The Adult egostate is the mediator .mediates between the parent egostate and the child egostate within. the adult awareness is also useful for mediating between the inner world and the outer world.
so the Adult egostate helps decide keeping in mind both the current situation,with awareness of past and possibilities in future.The Adult operating with a free child with permission to be happy ,can be very charming as well.
The adult egostate is like an assistant of the child egostate and the updated parent egostate is like a guide and inspiration for the child egostate which holds the key to life energy .
An egostate is a coherent group of thoughts ,feelings and behaviour that occur together. at any moment any one such egostate is observable as active.
on observing people in groups and individually over a long period , psychiatrists like Fritz Perls and Eric Berne categorised them into different categories. these categories are common to all human beings.
Eric Berne called them -the Parent type egostates,the Child type egostates and a third category a neutral type called the Adult type egostates.
HOW ARE THE EGOSTATES PRODUCED?:
the egostates are produced as a result of personal experience.
for eg the Parent egostates result from direct copying of our real life parents and parent figures like teachers.so we tend to repeat what our parents said, did and felt --these are basically faithful recordings of our parents that we replay from time to time.so basically a replay of past recordings.
the child egostates are the person's real life experiences as a child they include three broad categories of experiences-
- the experiences of the natural instinctive and biological impulses arising within and the mother's responses to these instinctive strivings,impulses ,feelings,sensations.
- the other category is the result of modification of the child's experiences as a result of parental influence , ie what is good/acceptable behavior and what is considered bad/unacceptable behaviour or the child's adaptation with reference to parental influence.
- the third broad category of childhood experiences are the result of the child's intuitive ,shrewd efforts to have its needs met in face of difficulties in childhood in the face of physical or parental or social restrictions- this part can be called broadly our intuitive child experiences.
the third category of experiences which are there are called Adult ego states which are our experiences of real life situations and problem solving based on what is going on now both within and in the environment.
this egostate operates exactly like a computer which calculates the best line of action after weighing the pros and cons from the available options.
All the three egostates are present and active in all healthy human beings ,but clinical observation tells that only one egostate will be predominantly active with other egostates being temporarily silent, subservient or inactive.
the Adult egostate carries a varying degree of internal self awareness. sometimes for eg the Adult egostate maybe unduly influenced by the Parent ego state -and the person may come under the grip of some fixed ideas or prejudices that lack any real basis.
sometimes the Adult egostate maybe unduly influenced by the child egostate resulting in some false belief for eg that the policeman is actually going to catch me --! a feeling of unreasonable fear without foundation in reality.
these influences on the Adult egostate are called by transactional analysts as "contaminations"- actually it is true that these act as contaminations in the clear perception of reality as it is.
The healthy Adult egostate functioning without contamination, percieves reality or here &now as it is without colouring it with any fixed ideas or prejudices.
The healthy Adult is also aware of the queiscent Parent and child egostates and acts in a manner acceptable to the total life experience of the person.
if the content of the parent egostate is out of tune with reality the Adult egostate can modify and update the content of the Parent egostate. similarly the empowered Adult ego state can become aware of childlike strivings, needs and hunger of the child within .this is a technical way of saying that the mature adult is aware of his feelings and needs and does not discount them.
thus the Adult egostate when integrated with the childhood egostates and the parent egostates becomes the road to a mature and satisfying human life.
THE POSITIVE VALUES IN EACH TYPE OF EGOSTATE:
Parent egostate: the parent is the repository of a healthy conscience that encourages honesty and truth, and the positive values of mankind -peace,wisdom, kindness,warmheartedness, faithfulness and trust.a friendly parent teaches his child to look after his needs and express his feelings by way of modelling on his own behaviour in an appropriate manner with consideration and regard for others.the parent egostate also gives guidance regarding meaning and purpose of life again mainly by way of modelling-that is- what or how the parent lives their life.
(here are the images of two of my teachers who influenced me deeply by their affectionate way of teaching)
(Fr.George Kandathil) (Prof.George Vithoulkas)
Child egostate:the child within is both past and present in the form of biological and instinctive strivings.when left to self the natural child within is not a purely aggressive being but also affectionate . a healthy child is a balance of aggresive and affectionate tendencies just as an animal in the wild. the child egostate is the elan-vitale the source of vitality and controller of life energy.the fun and joy,the zest for life and the purely physical sense of well-being comes from the child within.
Adult egostate: The Adult egostate is the mediator .mediates between the parent egostate and the child egostate within. the adult awareness is also useful for mediating between the inner world and the outer world.
so the Adult egostate helps decide keeping in mind both the current situation,with awareness of past and possibilities in future.The Adult operating with a free child with permission to be happy ,can be very charming as well.
The adult egostate is like an assistant of the child egostate and the updated parent egostate is like a guide and inspiration for the child egostate which holds the key to life energy .
--seeds
