I have already outlined and introduced the significance of the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis, and I have discussed the main theoretical currents in it. Anyone who has read my book must have been struck by the difference in my thinking from most other psychiatrists. Conventional psychiatry enumerates its terms and professional labels like so many barcodes. The new version of psychiatry that I am proposing is different; it does not stop at naming theories but provides an approach that leads to a grasp of the real causes underlying psychic phenomena. Below, I will explain, gradually just what those causes are.


                    Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

  It has become possible to clearly distinguish normality (health) and abnormality (disease) of mind. How are they distinguished? The best way is to determine whether emotional (affective) control is established (normal) or not (abnormal). When emotional (affective) control has not yet been established in the mind, psychodynamics occur that involve the perception system and the thinking system, which are other functions in the brain; this set of processes is called the displeasure-defense system. In contrast, when emotional (affective) control has been established in the mind, the psychodynamics that occur do not disturb other functions in the brain and do not involve the conflict area; this set of processes is called the displeasure-regulation system.

  It is possible to distinguish normality from abnormality of mind on the basis of psychodynamics occurring in the emotion (affect) system as a result of how two kinds of displeasing emotions (anger and misery) are managed, or in other words, depending on whether the mind of forgiveness and help is present or not. It is also possible to distinguish the two by examining the psychodynamics occurring in the whole brain and determining whether the regulatory type of self-consciousness is present or not, or, to put it in another way, determining whether the recognitory formation originating in emotional control has formed or not.


                  Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

  Cognition is a general term covering all kinds of natures of mind. Various natures of mind are generated when the perception, thinking, and emotion systems work in their respective modes or when they interlock with one another.

  In contrast, achieving recognition is premised on activation of the displeasure-regulation system. The displeasure-regulation system is the brain function in which the "concerned type of the grandiose self" in the emotion system, the "solitary type of the grandiose self" in the conflict-free area, and the "awakening self (marrow self)" generating various intuitions interlock with one another. When an intuition is generated once, it achieves recognition through analogy originating in the thinking system.


                     Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

  Normality and abnormality of mind are determined according to the way that displeasing emotions (affects) are managed. Displeasing emotions include "bad" emotions such as dissatisfaction, anger, or hatred, and "weak" emotions such as sadness, loneliness, helplessness, and so forth. These two kinds of displeasing emotions are characteristically contrary to each other in regard to cognition and recognition of them. Bad emotions (affects) tend to diffuse to others in cognition, and converge to self in recognition. Weak emotions (affects) are characterized by convergence to self in cognition and diffusion to  others in recognition. Thus we can understand how people can become mentally abnormal when they experience the cognitive phase of both kinds of emotions, and their minds are normal when they experience the recognitive phase of both.


                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 Cognition of bad emotions is made up of subjective experiences of fear or murderous intent, and recognition of bad emotions is made up of subjective experiences of forgiveness. Further, cognition of weak emotions is made up of subjective experiences of relative merits (superiority and inferiority), and recognition of weak emotions is made up of subjective experiences of help. Forgiveness and help can be understood as psychodynamics and can be described as neural transmissions. The following neural transmission is called the loop of forgiveness: bad self→apologetic object→bad object→rebellious self→bad self. Another neural transmission is called the loop of help: weak self→idealized object→weak object→grandiose self→weak self. The loop of forgiveness and the loop of help interlock with each other and generate ordinary nature of mind.


                         Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 The loop of forgiveness and the loop of help are both situated in the core of the functional network of neural transmissions in the emotional brain. Cognition of bad emotions and weak emotions is the function of the displeasure-defense system. Recognition of bad emotions and weak emotions, namely, forgiveness and help, is the function of the displeasure-regulation system. The displeasure-defense system, which is made up of the interlocking movements between the displeasing and defensive factors, works through interlocking movements among the motive, aversion, reward, and memory systems. The displeasure-regulation system, which uses the regulatory factors to act as a restraint on the displeasing factors, interacts with the motive, regulation, reward, and memory systems. In the functional network of neural transmissions in the emotional brain, the displeasure-defense and displeasure-regulation systems always interact to generate different kinds of nature of mind. 


                     Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 The concept of narcissism once belonged to the category of sexual perversion, and masochism continues to be regarded that way. Narcissism is no longer relegated to that category mainly because it is being discussed nowadays in a much wider context.

 One of my objectives is to free masochism from the narrow label of sexual perversion by encouraging discussion of forgiveness. To do that, I am pushing the idea, based on considerable experience and research, of a series of psycho-dynamics ranging from normal masochism to pathological masochism by redirecting attention and interest from sexuality to problems of managing aggressions.

 (Masochism and narcissism are not used as a concept in The Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis completed in 2019. Masochism is changed to the aggressive system and narcissism is changed to the fragile system.)

 

                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 The aggressive system is composed of eight factors and the fragile system is composed of six. These factors are determined on the basis of (1) whether they are classified with the displeasing factors, the regulatory factors, or the defensive factors, and (2) whether they are classified with the object factors or the self factors. The six factors are always found in each system, but the aggressive system has two additional regulatory sub-factors.

 In the aggressive system, the displeasing factors are the bad self and the bad object; the regulatory factors are the apologetic object and the rebellious self; the regulatory sub-factors are the rebellious object and the apologetic self; and the defensive factors are the punitive self and the punitive object. In the fragile system, the displeasing factors are the weak self and the weak object; the regulatory factors are the idealized object and the grandiose self; and the defensive factors are the ideal self and the grandiose object.


                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 The bad self is the self that feels dissatisfaction, anger, or hatred. The bad object is the object that feels those feelings. Using the term apology and rebellion in the literal sense, the apologetic object regulates the bad self, and the rebellious self regulates the bad object. The apologetic object and the rebellious object stimulate each other, as do the rebellious self and the apologetic self. The rebellious self forms a "rebellious subjectivity," and the apologetic self forms a "frustration tolerance." The destructive aggressions originate in what I call the punitive object and the punitive self; fear originates in the punitive object, and murderous intent originates in the punitive self.

 The weak self is the self that feels sadness, loneliness, or helplessness. The weak object is the object that feels those feelings. The term "idealization" and "grandiosity" may be confusing, but here, the regulatory factors are the idealized object and the grandiose self, the latter being identified with the idealized object; and the defensive factors are the grandiose object and the ideal self, which is identified with the grandiose object. Respect is associated with the idealized object, "empathic subjectivity" with the grandiose self, omnipotence with the grandiose object, and perfection with the ideal self. The idealized object regulates the weak self, and the grandiose self regulates the weak object.


                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 The 14 factors constituting the functional network of neural transmissions in the emotional brain enable intricate neural transmissions. That develops a variety of psychodynamics and is reflected in our ordinary nature of mind. For that reason, it is difficult to ascertain what kind of psychodynamics are operating in some natures of mind. However, there is a rule for these intricate neural transmissions. The displeasing factors, the regulatory factors, and the defensive factors work according to the following neural transmissions; defensive factors⇔displeasing factors→regulatory factors. In concrete terms, what we see is punitive self⇔bad self→apologetic object (⇔rebellious object) and punitive object⇔bad object→rebellious self (⇔apologetic self) in the aggressive system; and ideal self⇔weak self→idealized object and grandiose object⇔weak object→grandiose self in the fragile system.


                       Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 Neural transmissions among the displeasing, regulatory, and defensive factors are expressed as follows: defensive factors⇔displeasing factors→regulatory factors. Regulation is expressed as displeasing factors→regulatory factors; defense is expressed as defensive factors←displeasing factors; and dissociation is expressed as defensive factors→displeasing factors. There are four of each type. In the aggressive system, the following neural transmissions form the forgive-and-be forgiven relationship: bad self→apologetic object⇔rebellious object, and bad object→rebellious self⇔apologetic self. In the fragile system, the following neural transmissions form the help-each-other relationship: weak self→idealized object, and weak object→grandiose self.  In addition, punitive self←bad self is experienced as destructive urge; punitive object←bad object is experienced as abandonment by the object; ideal self←weak self is experienced as withdrawal; and grandiose object←weak object is experienced as contempt by the object. Moreover, punitive self→bad self and ideal self→weak self indicate "self-dissociation," and lead to a "fragmented self." In contrast, punitive object→bad object and grandios object→weak object indicate "object-dissociation," and lead to a "divided object." It is a property of neural transmissions that dissociation takes place before regulation occurs.


                         Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 Freud used the terms pleasure principle and reality principle as contrasting concepts, but he did not state a "pleasure-displeasure principle." He thought that a message from the unconscious meant pleasure and that reality impeded wish fulfillment. One of his maxims, for example, was that "every dream is a wish fulfillment." Such ideas show up in Freud's structural theory centered on id, ego, and super-ego. However, he faced the extremely large problem in his later study. We can extrapolate defense theory from the range of Freud's thoughts, but we cannot find regulation theory there. I am able to present regulation theory that is different from Freud's defense theory, because I have found that our mental activities ultimately aim to manage our displeasure. And defense theory and regulation theory are not mutually exclusive. There is one area where they can coexist without difficulty, and that is in the Emotion Control Theory.


                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 The aggressive regulation system is established by the formation of the loop of forgiveness, and the fragile regulation system is established by the formation of the loop of help. In the mental activities of healthy people, the regulatory function in the fragile system works more actively than that in the aggressive system. Discontent and stress generated in social life are managed by sending them on to the aggressive system. Neural stimuli are transmitted from the grandiose object, which is the object-defensive factor in the fragile system, to the bad object, which is the object displeasing factor in the aggressive system. This neural transmission is called the "displeasure-dispatch route." Afterwards, displeasure sent on to the aggressive system has two possible destinies. One is by way of the neural transmission I call the "route of changing displeasure into pleasure," in which displeasure is changed into pleasure (bad object→rebellious self), upon which the fragile system is reactivated (rebellious self→grandiose self). Following the other, displeasure cannot be changed into pleasure and unmanaged displeasure is returned to the fragile system. In this case, neural stimuli are also transmitted from the punitive self, which is the self-defensive factor in the aggressive system, to the ideal self, which is the self-defensive factor in the fragile system. I call that transmission the "displeasure-return route" (to the fragile system).


                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 Displeasure generated in the fragile system is sent to the aggressive system via the displeasure-dispatch route. The regulatory function (forgiveness) works and manages displeasure in the aggressive system. After displeasure is changed into pleasure, it is sent back to the fragile system.  When displeasure is caused by object's empathic insufficiency, it could be changed into the rebellious subjectivity. Rebellious subjectivity is the foundation of our mental health, ranking with the empathic subjectivity. When displeasure is caused by self's involvement, it is changed into conceit. Conceit covers the representative personality traits (mentioned later), and is an important sign in the radical treatment of psychoses (schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorders).


                      Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis

 When the regulatory function (forgiveness) does not work and displeasure cannot be managed―even when it is generated in the fragile system―and is dispatched to the aggressive system, displeasure with destructivity is returned to the fragile system. The following is a typical neural transmission in this case; grandiose object→bad object→punitive object→punitive self→ideal self. The neural transmissions divide into two routes from the ideal self. One is the route of natural circulation within the fragile system (ideal self→weak self→idealized object→), and this route induces psychodynamics characterized by the urge to break self or envy. The other is the route that makes use of the dependent type of pathological identification (ideal self→grandiose object→), and it induces the psychodynamics of the urge to break object. Repetition of dispatch and return of displeasure is expressed as the "malignant cycle."


                    Basic Concepts in the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis