The Robot Personality in Narcissistic Disorder

Although there has been substantial research into narcissism by psychoanalysts, in particular by Kernberg (10) and Kohut (11, 12), and several contributions by analytical psychologists (FORDHAM 2, GORDON 3, JACOBY 4), there seems as yet to be no general agreement about the nature of narcissistic disorder. In his book, Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism, Kernberg puts forward the view that there is a continuous spectrum of severity of narcissistic disorder (KERNBERG 10). At its worst manifestation, patients present a ‘borderline personality organisation’. By this Kernberg means that they occupy a borderline area between neurosis and psychosis (Ibid., p. 13) and that they ‘have a rather specific and remarkably stable form of pathological ego structure and “archaic” levels of defensive organisation’ (Ibid., p. 7). Also, ‘transient psychotic episodes may develop’ in these patients (Ibid., p. 3). For such patients Kernberg uses the term ‘narcissistic personalities’. This paper is a contribution by an analytical psychologist to the study of the nature and aetiology of this condition.

I shall focus in particular on the pathological ego structure and the ‘archaic’ levels of defensive organisation. The main thesis is that, in my view, this pathology comes about when there has been a catastrophically bad fit between mother and baby, coupled with the misfortune of an absent and/or inadequate father. This pathology showed itself dramatically in two patients of mine who have, as far back as they can remember, experienced themselves as robots. I think that the phenomenon of the robot contributes to an understanding of narcissistic disorder and might also throw some light on other psychopathologies, such as the schizoid character defence or the ‘false self in Winnicott's terminology. In particular I want to show how analytical psychology can illuminate this pathology. I think this will point the way towards a specific therapy which, however, will not be d