The ideas behind interpersonal psychology (Daniel Siegel, M.D.) are that as we develop, if we have an ideal environment, we will be allowed to develop our own unique personality, which allow all parts of our unique processing and perspective to cluster and link to each other.
Attachment Theory
A secure attachment with our primary parental figure will allow the integration and linkage of differentiated parts. The parent honors the differences and encourages linkages. An insecure attachment creates anxiety around being unique, different, and separate. Integration of the structural vs. functional is the core mechanism of health. This is similar to having a good healthy computer system that has enough RAM to allow the input of the programs you need to do what you want it to do.
A good enough parent honors differences and encourages linkages. When a child grows up in a chaotic environment, this creates stress on the family system, which causes rigidity (similar to a virus in a computer system). This will cause impairments to differentiation; a distrust of the unique contributions of each member of the family; and terror in the child. Therefore, the rigid family structure, such as an authoritarian parent, tries to manage the chaos, but impairs the healthy functioning of the system. The is also seen in the Laissez Faire parent, who does not create enough structure for a feeling of safety.
A healing of this fear of differentiation happens when the insecure becomes secure, which is called “Earned Security.” This is what happens in a healthy therapeutic relationship. Integration is the core mechanism of health.
Trauma
According to Teicher, et al (2002), in developmental trauma, such as abuse and neglect, the regions of integration are impaired or damaged. These regions of the brain are the corpus collosum, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus – thus, traumatic experiences caused impairments to integration. This can also cause impairments in learning in the academic environment.
This is also seen in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where an experience or repeated experiences of terror cause a constriction of the regions of the brain needed to process the experience. The result is that the experience is trapped in the emotional brain, and a disruption of processing occurs. This is the cause of “flashbacks”, or emotional flooding.
The Interpersonal Nature of the Mind
This model is a new model of framing the conceptualization of emotional health.
The Prefrontal region of the brain has an integrative function:
- bodily regulation (autonomic nervous system)
- Attuned communication
- Emotional balance
- Fear extinction – modulating fear—damping down the firing of the amygdala
- Flexibility – pausing before acting, and choosing most adaptive action
- Insight – link past, present, & future (coherent narrative) collaboration of left and right hemisphere
- Empathy
- Morality – larger social good
Intuition – allowing input from the body to influence reasoning – (gut brain)
How are these related to the MIND?
Mind, relationships and embodied brain connections-Energy and information flow are:
- shared in our relationships;
- shaped by the embodied mechanism of brain;
- regulated by the mind
Humans are social creatures. Mind can be defined as an embodied and relational self organizing process.
Self: singular or plural? “ Mwe” differentiation and linkage (differentiation /Individuation /community)
How does the mind regulate energy flow?
Interpersonal connection stimulates internal integration. All regulation comes from integration – creates coordination of balance of the system. Mindful awareness allows one to monitor the processes with more stability and modify with integration = harmony.
The Wheel of Awareness is like a Hub of awareness with four spokes :
- First five senses-see, hear, taste, feel, smell-brings in the outside world
- Sixth sense – interior of the body
- Seventh sense – mental life-feelings, thoughts, awareness
- Eighth sense – Breath awareness
This creates a Widening of the sense of self – a broadening of the barriers of the sense of self.
The wheel of awareness is within a Probability axis and a Time axis. The Act of observance consolidates the wave function – brings to consciousness the ways that things influence each other from a distance. Therefore, Mental life allows transformation from possibility into the actuality of energy.
Intuition – allowing input from the body to influence reasoning – gut brain.
Mindfulness – Very helpful for people stuck in their peaks – teaching the person to move from repetitive, habitual ways of thinking and being to more productive ways of thinking and being. It creates coherence, fluidity, and flexibility– integration within the mind and within our relationships.