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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by suzanne on August 2, 1999, at 22:20:45
does anyone know anything about primary process? i've tried to research it a bit without much success. i think it is preverbal feelings that stay with us in a way that feels uncommunicative. as you can see, i'm not clear, but in a way feel i am stuck in this mode (not comfortable communicating verbally). thanks!
Posted by alan on August 3, 1999, at 0:25:19
In reply to primary process, posted by suzanne on August 2, 1999, at 22:58:20
> does anyone know anything about primary process?
i've tried to research it a bit without much
success. i think it is preverbal feelings that
stay with us in a way that feels uncommunicative.
as you can see, i'm not clear, but in a way feel i
am stuck in this mode (not comfortable
communicating verbally). thanks!The only uses of 'primary process' I can think of: 1) sometimes it is presently used to refer to a flow of conscious contents which are not constrained by logic, relevance, etc.; sort of dreamlike. 2) The concept of primary process thinking played a very large role in Freudian theory. Look up "personality theory' in almost any introductory text for Psychology 101 and read about Freud, or a text on personality theory or abnormal psychology, use the index. Calvin Hall wrote a nice short intro to Freud's theories.
I think you are probably more interested simply in non-verbal thinking, thinking in images say, and not being able to express it. Related topics are discussed in the literature of cognitive psychology and especially as regards language or 'verbal behavior'. Maybe neuropsychology in some cases.
i assume I have been of absolutely no help.Maybe you just need be assured that all of us almost never think like we write; lots of stuff just flows thru, and it takes a very good fiction writer to give a sense of it in words. that kind of fiction usually gives me a headache.
Posted by Victoria on August 3, 1999, at 17:54:35
In reply to primary process, posted by suzanne on August 2, 1999, at 22:20:45
I'm not sure what primary process means either, but you might be interested in a book called The Interpersonal World of the Infant, by Daniel Stern. It deals with early experience before language enters the picture. Reading it resulted in a breakthrough in therapy for me, as it seemed to explain feelings I have that I can't capture in words. Good luck!
> does anyone know anything about primary process? i've tried to research it a bit without much success. i think it is preverbal feelings that stay with us in a way that feels uncommunicative. as you can see, i'm not clear, but in a way feel i am stuck in this mode (not comfortable communicating verbally). thanks!
Posted by yardena on August 3, 1999, at 19:38:55
In reply to Re: primary process, posted by Victoria on August 3, 1999, at 17:54:35
The preverbal experiences you talk about are an example of primary process, which includes everything from nonverbal emotions to dreams to psychosis. It is all the internal psychic experiences that don't procede in a logical, verbal, sequential, structured way. It is normal for all of us to have both primary and secondary process, but, hopefully, as we develop from infancy our primary process is mediated or organized by our developing secondary process. There can be a lot of feelings and experiences that are "remembered" in an emotional sense, but before the part of the brain that records specific logical memories develops, we can't really figure out what it that "caused" the emotional "memories". THere is a good article on this in the most recent issue of FAMILY THERAPY NETWORKER magazine.
Posted by suzanne on August 5, 1999, at 8:16:54
In reply to primary process, posted by suzanne on August 2, 1999, at 22:20:45
> does anyone know anything about primary process? i've tried to research it a bit without much success. i think it is preverbal feelings that stay with us in a way that feels uncommunicative. as you can see, i'm not clear, but in a way feel i am stuck in this mode (not comfortable communicating verbally). thanks!
thanks everybody for their responses to my question. i will definitely research the book and article mentioned. funny, this came up as a question for me because i think i was in that 'mode' while in therapy the other day, and 'it' became the topic for the session because my therapist was uncomfortable with it! anyway, thanks for your help...-suzanne
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