Narcissist: When Reality is Just a Dream (Ego's Reality Testing)
Channel: Prof. Sam Vaknin
Date: 2023-10-03

Libidinal investment (cathexis) in external (love) or internal (narcissistic cathexis, megalomania) object common in schizophrenia, paranoia, BPD, NPD: positive only affects, idealization (object perfection)=infantile regression, magical thinking (omnipotence of thoughts, magical power of words)

Fantasy-infused thoughts (dereism) or narcissistic and egocentric self-absorption (autistic).

Reality alienation (hypnoid states, twilight states)

Amentia: decathexis in both external world and internal objects, cathexis in total wish-fulfillment universe

Postponement of pleasure, tension (reality principle): involves grandiosity (omniscience of future pleasure, catastrophizing as in depression)

LITERATURE

Abend, Sander. (1979). Unconscious fantasy and theories of cure. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 27, 579–596 and (1982). Reality testing as a clinical concept. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 51, 218–238.

Arlow, Jacob A. (1969). Fantasy, memory, and reality testing. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 38, 28–51.

Freud, S. (1911). Formulations on the two principles of mental functioning. S.E. 12: 213–226. and (1915). Instincts and their vicissitudes. S.E. 14: 109–140. And (1917). A metapsychological supplement to the theory of dreams. S.E. 14:217–235. 

Grossman, L. (1996). “Psychic Reality” and reality testing in the analysis of perverse defences. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 77: 509–518. 

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