EXPLORING THE BODY SCRIPT THROUGH THE CHARACTERS OF A FAVORITE FAIRY-TALE.
Bulhakova K. G., Isaieva N.V., Sevalneva Z.V.
Annotation: The article provides a brief literature review of approaches to the study of the origins of script from Bern to the present.
The concepts of protocol, preverbal script ‘blocks’ in the body and body-script.
It also describes an original technique work with a fabulous inanimate object.
It also describes an original technique work with a fabulous inanimate object.The technique allows a person to experience a body script and change the elements in a positive way. In the final part proposes a some of specific client cases to illustrate the concepts.
Keywords: transactional analysis, body script, the study of body script, a favorite fairy tale, preverbal protocol, escaping the script, body language in TA, script analysis.
This article has been published:
- Journal of the Practical Psychologist scientific and practical journal Moscow 2016
- EATA Newsletter №124 February 2019
https://eatanews.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EATA-Newsletter-124-February-2019.pdf
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The method of work with a body script with the help of the first children’s fairy tale allows getting in touch with the protocol as the core of nonverbal, somatic experience.
Eric Bern was the first one who began to speak about the body script. His idea was that the first responses of the child to the surrounding world are mostly bodily. And if the world is comfortable and the mother answers the child’s needs and sends him/her love and acceptance, the body relaxes and the child develops in a normal healthy way.
But if the situation is unfavorable, the mother of a child withdraws or is irritated by the child, thus sending him/her injunctions Don’t live, Don’t be yourself, Don’t be close, Don’t be important, cramps, blocks, tensions or other types of unbalance of the organism are formed in the body. These imbalances are fixed and, in a way, imprint early traumas, being at the same time infant protective mechanisms.
Dounin identified 10 kinds of bodily defenses that "..keep us from saying" Hello, getting to know the others, being happy with the others and being prepared that the other will be happy with us." (Dounin, 1995).
These defenses can be observed through:
weakening and fading breath;
undeveloped affect-motor scheme, that is, limited movement to express feelings, control of feelings;
protective-deformed affect-motor schemes as hyperactive expression of feelings through movement;
counter-mobilizing as tension of certain muscle groups to restrain particular feelings;
deactivation as inhibition of particular feelings by lowering the tone of specific muscle groups;
chronic hypotonia, that is muscle floppiness;
chronic hypertonicity, that is chronic muscle tension or bodily carapace;
kinesthetic avoidance, that is, blocked awareness of bodily movements, feelings and emotions;
kinesthetic hyper-concentration, that is, focusing on a specific part of the body or certain feeling;
visual protection when a person sees his/her body as if from the outside (Dounin, 1995).
Bern called such body responses of pre-verbal period protocols. (Bern, 1972). And this set of protocols underlies body script. According to Bern "Protocol is a preverbal judgment, the image of reality which is created by internal tension associated with existing needs" (Bern, 1972).
Temporary tension and withdrawal for self-preservation become a pattern of chronic muscle contraction in response to constant parental programming. Physiologically, the system is controlled by closure in response to pain and opening in response to pleasure. Thus, the script formation is supported by protective inner silent dialogue in infants and children between Adaptive and Natural child.
Such protective preverbal dialogue leads to suppression of the spontaneous expression of Free child and maintaining the script adaptation of Adaptive child. Maintaining muscle defenses requires huge amounts of energy that blocks the expression of feelings.
Detailed study of protocol was done by D. Steer. He defined the protocol as "observable scheme of physical manifestations, which are expressed in constant sequence, emphasizing basic movements of human script" (Steer, 1985). In contrast to the script, the protocol can not be cognitively changed, re-decided or rewritten.
It is only possible to realize it (the protocol), understand it, live it through from inside and change behavior resulting from the protocol through a new life experience, which the client can receive through new sensations in the body.
Cornell wrote: "The behavior, which is based on the protocol, is not similar to a game (with the hidden level of communication), but is a deep preverbal memory of primary relational patterns imprinted through bodily experience" (Cornell, 2008). The fact that protocols and the early bodily experience influence the rest of a person's life, especially his/her relationships with people, was also mentioned by other authors. In particular, Ligabo says that "the body is a mean by which relationships are felt and lived" (Ligabo, 2007).
R. Erskine wrote the following: “One of the key concepts of integrative ТА states that in human behavior the need of relationship is the basis of motivation, and contact is the way by which this need is satisfied. In good contact there is awareness of sensations, feelings, experiences and needs. Internal and external experiences are constantly integrated and focused on development. When the contact is interrupted, the needs are not being met and have to be met artificially. "
Those artificial “closings” constitute the contents of survival reactions and script decisions, which may become fixed. They manifest in withdrawal from affect, habitual behavioral patterns, neurological disorders in the body and also cognitive settings that limit spontaneity and flexibility in problem solving and relations with people. Each protective contract interruption prevents awareness. ( Erskine, 1980; Erskine & Trautmann, 1993) R. Erskine considers that script is formed on a psychological level in a very early age.
When a child gets into traumatic situation, he or she reacts at the prohibitions by filling own needs in a particular way, the child’s body reacts by protection and a script process occurs in the body tissue as a survival reaction. In the future, the muscles retain the memory of this reaction.
If in the childhood the contact was interrupted and that interruption was traumatic a certain process may be happening. Such process may look like reinforced and closed system of bodily reactions, which is played on when in stress, often in close relationships or in situations reminding the one when it got fixed. R. Erskine calls such process “arrest of development, when the most important early needs have not been met» (1988)
Child’s suppressed needs and frustration in attempt to fill the need leads to incomplete experience of the child, and the energy which had no way out goes into physiological attempt of completion, gets encapsulated and stored in the form of bodily blocks and. In order to live many people can keep such blocks out of the sphere of their awareness.
As a result there happens fixation – habitual preservation in the present of models of adaptation and psychological defenses, which were necessary in the past. Fixed defenses prevent a personality to be in contact with oneself internally and with other people externally. Later those fixations transform into scripty beliefs and form a scripty racket system.
E. Berne suggested that the primary protocol of the script is being laid during the first two years of life, "when people appear to the child as huge figures with magical power, as giants and giantesses, mythical ogres and monsters ..." He also added that at the age of four to seven years old a child "overwrites the original script in line with the new vision and perception of the world. In doing this he/she is helped by fairy tales and stories about animals ... They give him/her a new set of characters with the help of which he/she plays all the roles in his/her imagination" (Bern, 1972).
Then later early decisions taken by the Little Professor, which is Adult in the Child, add to the protocol. In conjunction with the parental messages (injunctions, counter-injunctions, programs and permissions), this leads to the creation of the script, as the life program of the individual: "Protocols run as permanent unconscious patterns of decisions taken on significant figures, and the first experience of meeting with them in our life ... In fact, Protocol is a hidden level of somatic and relational organization that is operated out of awareness and precedes the formation of the script. The script is more than implicit memory. It is not only a record of the past. It is a result of active efforts of the child to give meaning and sensation to the events, both physically and non-verbally" (Cornell, 2008).
And with the help of a fairy tale we have an opportunity through the images and metaphors to penetrate into the deep psychic structures and modify them. Berne pointed out that in the therapeutic process it is important to find a myth or a fairy tale, which reflect the patterns of life script of the patient.
Description of original methods of working with a body script. Work with a body script is always difficult due to the fact that it is formed in a very early, preverbal period. That is why we (K. Bulgakova, N. Isaieva and Z. Sevalneva) have created an original method to help clients realize their bodily elements of the script and even change some of them. We were guided by the idea that identification with inanimate image or symbol of the favourite children's fairy tale can contribute to the regression into the preverbal period.
For the study of body script by this method, the client is invited to remember his/her favorite fairy tale and choose from it inanimate images, symbols or an object. Then, among these images, the client is asked to select the image, symbol or object, to which the client is experiencing negative feelings or which he or she dislikes most of all. Then, the client is invited to imagine themselves as this object, and the therapist conducts an interview with him/her in the role of this object in strict compliance with a certain sequence of questions. At first questions relate to enhancing of identification with the object.
At the next stage the client is invited to take a position, which corresponds to the role. Generally, this position is extremely tense and uncomfortable. It is this position that shows the accumulation of negative feelings and emotions embodied in the body in the form of corporal clips and muscle tension. By the body it is possible to distinguish which ego state is constantly used, and which is excluded. Then we ask the client from this position to formulate the message for "the one who chose you," ie, himself/herself. This message is a reflection of verbal protocols, which live directly in the body.
Next, we ask the client to change the position for the most comfortable one and then to send from this position another message. This message differs from the first message and is a permission to change. Changing posture reinforces this permission at the level of the body. The process is accompanied by the release of feelings and strong bodily sensations. Then the client de-identifies with the object and there is analysis of received awareness and changes in Adult ego state.
In the process of work, the client presents different structural archaic ego states: structures of the second, first and zero order. Such a clear shift of ego states can be observed from the outside, and it is also present in the feelings of the clients.
One can say that this technique allows to resolve the impasses of the 1st, 2nd and even 3rd degree (Mellor, 1980). If we consider the intra-psychic impasse, it is a potential impasse between the ego-states of the client. By Mellor the 1st degree impasse between P2 and C2 sounds verbally in a client as the parent’s counter-injunctions. The 2nd degree impasse between P1 and C1 is encoded in the form of feelings and emotions and manifests itself as an answer, while script programming, for parental injunctions in early age.
The 3rd degree impasse is associated with the primary protocol and refers to a very early age, sometimes even prenatal. Cornell, 2008 describes the protocol as an impasse of the 3rd level, where the body "holds" restrictions, injunctions, parental programs and adaptive solutions that can be seen in attitudes, style and quantity of movements, tone of voice and its variation (for example, a sigh), breathing, eye movements, direction of the client’s look at others, etc. Cornell, 2008 considered the main ways of re-decision of the 3rd degree impasses through the relationship of the client and the therapist, such as the transference/counter-transference, parallel process, analysis of the relationship in supervision and projective identification.
The presented method provides us with invaluable experience in resolving the impasse of the third degree between P0 and C0. The impasse occurs between P0 represented by a negative message in response to stress and clips in a pose of a negative character and acceptance of the message by the client on an intuitive level in C0.
Changes in posture and use of resources of Adult through a new message enable the client to re-decide this impasse and accept, give sense, constructive meaning and assimilate the power of his/her healthy part with the support and protection of the potent therapist. Therefore, the client cathects all their ego-states, giving themselves a permission, feeling their power and using the protection of the therapist (P. Crossman, 1972).
The power of the client is that he/she from a new posture gives permissions necessary for specific psychological age of the client at the moment of therapy.
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Clients’ cases
The case of the client М.
An object: a half-boot, that is a full of holes, ruined boot from the fairy tale "Muff, Half-boot and Moss Beard."
The first ego state, which appeared when the client was in the role of the half-boot, was Pig Parent, which is Child of the Parent. He gave an injunction "Don’t feel fear" (in a vulgar form), from which the client received great tension.
After changing the posture Free Child cathected, and the message sounded as a permission: "You can feel any feelings and be free."
The final sensations - ease, joy, relaxation in the body.
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The case of the client О.
The object: A farm, where the main character’s (Swan’s ) offenders lived in the fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling."
Description of the object from the first person: "I am big, important and principal, I do not want a swan to live with me (an image of Negative Controlling Parent)". A pose: standing and leaning forward, hands are crouched as if hanging over someone. Feelings: anger, feeling powerful and indestructible. Message for O.: "Fear me!"
Changing to a comfortable posture: limps, wraps herself in a blanket, holds another blanket and presses it to herself like a child, cries, says to himself affectionate diminutive words (ie. Nurturing Parent appears).
The message: "You are a good girl, thank you just for being, you can live." Switches to Free Child, rejoices. The client feels relaxation in the body, "the feeling of a small child." She lies down on the couch and starts nibbling biscuits.
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The case of the client S.
The selected image from a fairy tale "Three Wishes for Cinderella": The painting in a gold frame with a lot of plants, a forest, a mountain, a river (life), that is hanging on the wall between the first and second floor, with only portraits around (Parental figures).
The message of the painting to the hero of S.: "You are not here. You do not live your life" (injunctions Don’t live and Don’t be yourself). The client takes a position on a chair, sits leaning on one leg, hands raised up. In this position S. feels it hard to breathe, the pressure in the back of the head.
After changing the posture when S. walked around and took a new position where she was standing on the floor with straight legs, "I feel like I'm standing, I feel the ground, my head stopped aching, I began to breathe normally, a feeling of joy has appeared." Adult ego state appears, the message from a new posture is: "Live!".
After leaving the role the client is happy, she wants to fly. There is a switch to Free Child.
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The case of the client Y.
The object: An ugly, dirty, greasy rag on the face of a beautiful girl in the fairy tale "Jack Frost."
Y. suppresses her voice, eyes closed, as she describes the rag (the influence of Pig Parent): black, grubby, soot, abandoned, which had not been washed long time. The purpose of this rag is to hide beauty. The message of the dirty rag to the hero "Pig is laughing, I was thinking whether to confess or not: Don’t live!".
Description of sensations in the body: it presses greatly (voice very quiet), hard to breathe because the chest is limited by arms, I feel neuralgia in the ribs, the pain in the ribs".
After changing the posture: "I have a straight back, I have no pain, I have open hands, a sense of relaxation in the hands and my eyes are open."
The message from the new posture: "Live! Life is beautiful. It is yours and you have the right to live, you have the right to be happy, you have the right to be beautiful..., you have the right to be loved, you can breathe (the voice amplifies, she laughs joyfully)."
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The case of the client L.
Fairy tale "The Pomegranate Necklace".
The object: a dress with a very heavy necklace, all studded with precious stones from edge to edge, very massive, bedecked with jewels everywhere (L. sighs). Though it is heavy, it is brilliantly beautiful (L. cries).
The dress has a function of the shell (the armor) and without it the main character will be left bare and unprotected. It protects the main character, and at the same time does not allow her to live, it is a burden that is preventing very much. Without this dress the heroine would be easier, more sensual, more real and closer to the others.
The message: My brilliance prevents to see real L. (crying), and everyone pays attention to the shine, but does not see L. The message: "Don’t feel, Don’t be Yourself (crying), Don’t be Close, cut off from everyone, then you will not feel anything and you will not be hurt. (Injunctions from Child in the Parent).
Pose: standing straight, tense back, shoulders, hands clenched into fists. L. feels great tension throughout the body, feels herself a spacesuit (crying), all very tense and can never relax at all.
When changing the posture L. wants to relax and limp, not to feel the tension. L. spreads a blanket, lies down and curls into a ball. The therapist covers her (crying). She calms down, relaxes and feels warm.
The message from the new posture: "You can be yourself, you can be real and feel all your feelings. You can feel all your feelings and you can show your feelings to others. You can be yourself, you can have close relationship, you may be vulnerable and you can cope with it. You can live your life and be real at the same time. "
Again the switch into Adult through Free Child takes place.
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The case of the client N.
The Tale of Tsar Saltan.
Object: barrel, which imprisoned the prince and his mother.
Description: I do not care, I'm just doing my job. Message: I do not care what will happen to you, be quiet, you will destroy me, I want to get rid of you as soon as possible. (The injunctions Don’t live, Don’t exist)
Pose: tense, standing to full height, with legs wide apart, hands trying to grasp as much space as possible, solidifies in the stillness, sometimes rises on her toes and wiggles a little, holds her breath, closes her eyes, fixed grimace of sorrow on her face. Feeling: indifference, fatigue, lack of interest, irritation.
When changing posture: breathes, relaxes, sits in a lotus position, huggs herself, then asks for a pillow and huggs a pillow, is rocking, relaxing muscles can be seen, smiling, breathing even and calm, eyes open.
Message: I see you, I love you, I will protect and defend you, I want to relax a bit, you're a miracle, you can relax, you are needed.
Permission: live, feel, you are needed.
If we consider this case in terms of the relationship - movement and need to be accepted was interrupted on an emotional level. If we present a script decision, it is “I am not needed”. In the observed level the hands reach and do not receive a response, the body is tense. In order to complete the movement it was necessary to embrace and relax, restore breathing and feel the whole body.
From the history: the child was in the hospital for admission separately from his mother for a long time, so in the preverbal period the child faced deprivation and exclusion that was entered into the body script.
Analyzing all these examples, we can see that almost all clients adopt a new decision or re-decide (Gouldings, 1979). According to Gouldings, as well as other transactional analysts (Bern, Steiner et al.) at an early age the child in his/her Little Professor takes certain decisions in order to survive in uncomfortable or dangerous situations for themselves.
Decisions of early Adult are based on intuition and can be illogical. However, they help the child to cope with the situation when he/she is small and helpless, but the same decisions can significantly slow down and complicate the life of an adult. Gouldings offer psychotherapy of a new decision, the essence of which is that an adult in a state of "regression on contract" takes a new decision using the resources of their Adult ego state.
Gouldings wrote: "In the therapy of new decisions the client feels his/her Child par, liberates their children’s qualities and creates imaginary scenes in which he/she can get rid of restrictive decisions adopted in childhood."
When using the methods of working with inanimate objects from a fairy tale, immersion in the imaginary scenes with entering the archaic ego states and replay of early decisions and taboos takes place. Then, with the help of a therapist, Adult ego state cathects, and the client gets an opportunity to take a new, constructive decision, fixed on the body level.
Interviewing clients a month after the workshop showed that they felt real positive changes in their body, emotional state and life in general.
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Summary and Conclusions
According to Bern the original skeleton of the script, called the primary protocol is formed in the first two years of life.
The method of work with a body script with the help of the first children’s fairy tale allows the client to meet with the early scenes of life, with injunctions and early decisions by adopting postures of an inanimate object or image, creating tension and causing negative states of the client.
When using this method a safe zone is created for re-living through preverbal experience and identifying a frustrated early need and a way of defense chosen by the child in that age. We can see a positure and a consequent movement and behavior directed at filling of the need.
Observing and examining of the posture gives us a possibility to assume which intervention made the child choose a particular way of defense and what was possibly missing or too much for this child. In this way we can see the element of the client’s personal history, and become able to explore the situation when the “arrest of development” happened.
Basing on this information we get an opportunity for realizing the need, restoration of interrupted movement and completing of the action. Such knowledge about a scripty posture can be used for changing the inner elements of script system and choosing the resourceful position.
Changes in posture allow to resolve impasses of the 1-st, 2-nd, and, most importantly, the 3-rd kind, formed on the body level. Resolution of impasses releases energy for making new constructive decisions that help clients to get out of a negative script, and to radically change their lives.
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