Back to Table of Contents
experiences of reality; and for this reason, as behaving in some ways like an immediate experience, and in others like a representation. These characteristics, which apply to aspects of introjects, and to traumatic memories, necessitate, according to Fernando (2009, 2012, 2018a, 2018b), certain specific technical stances and interventions. Because of their radical lack of symbolization, and their characteristic of sitting half-way between reality and representation, zero process contents often do not join the normal flow of developing displacement type transferences and projective identifications based upon self and object representations. They are rather evoked by unpredictable circumstances and occurrences that connect with their radically concrete bits and pieces, and when so evoked, they appear with startling suddenness and intensity, and can then disappear also with startling suddenness. According to Fernando, it is necessary in these circumstances to understand the true nature of these occurrences, not to mistake them for psychotic or borderline overwhelming, and to be relatively active in pursuing the zero process fragments that are evoked. In making this crucial differentiation, between overwhelming by the primary process in borderline or psychotic dynamics, and intrusions of the zero process contents in post-traumatic dynamics, a proper understanding of the differences between the primary process and the zero process can aid clinical analytic work. Clinically, the zero process contents need to be understood as representations with the qualities of immediate experience . He notes that this has been corroborated by clinical work with the alters of DID, specifically by treating the alters as real entities , including speaking to them, rather than treating them as memory/fantasy representational complexes (Kluft, 2000). While such approaches may engender some controversy, the theory of the zero process provides an explanatory frame as to why and under what conditions such techniques are suitable to the nature of post traumatic functioning, i.e. when the specific qualities of the zero process are at play. Otherwise, speaking in such terms can cloud the real underlying contents and dynamics related to primary process/secondary process and memory/fantasy complexes. However, when the zero process with its key characteristics of acting like a present experience animated by a zero process drive that pushes for the experience to be played out in a repetitive cycle is present, addressing the real entities, participating in the immediacy of the experience need to guide interventions. Fernando furthermore distinguishes the dissociation and splitting of the zero process , which is between an unprocessed past reality and present experience , from the primary process splitting seen in borderline disorders, which is between opposite drives and affects, such as the loved object and the hated object and corresponding self-representations. An understanding of this distinction should also guide interventions. One can interpret the two parallel worlds that the person lives in, and also point out to the patient that many of their memories of events they think they do not remember are hiding in plain sight in the present and future, in body reactions and other immediate feelings, thoughts, and reactions about the present, and about the future. Additionally, Fernando suggests tracing such present reactions and future fears to their source. Traced this way, many phobic fears turn out to have been related to zero process memories of the height of the trauma, which have colonized the patient’s future. Following this approach, when patients try unsuccessfully to argue away their fear, Fernando suggests an intervention
800
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online