States of Consciousness and Ego States
Stephen Lankton
International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice December 31, 2023 DOI: 10.29044/v14i2p42 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes a theory linking consciousness to ego states, in which different states of consciousness each contain distinct collections of experiential resources, so individuals' access to those resources is limited by the state they are in. Argues that practitioners can use empathy with clients to help them change the contents of problematic states of consciousness. |
Abstract
A theory of consciousness is presented and linked to ego states. Different levels of consciousness are described and how states of consciousness (SoCs) contain within them different collections of experiential resources, leading to limitations on how individuals can access different resources when they are in specific states. Examples are given related to everyday life, followed by ideas on how practitioners can use empathy with clients so that the clients become able to change the contents of problematic SoCs.