ON NARCISSISM.* T. C. SINHA, D, Sc, In his writing 'On Narcissism, Freud says 'The word narcis- sims is taken from clinical tirminology to denote the attitude of a person who treats his own body in the same way as otherwise the body of a sexual object is treated ; that is to say, he experiences sexual pleasure in gazing at caressing and fonnd- ling his body, till complete gratification ensues upon these activi- ties. Developed to this degree, narcissism has the significance of a perversion, which has absorbed the whole sexual life of the subject.' - Though this extreme degree of narcissism is pathological this is considered as a normal trait in an individual when it ' works within the normal limits. Freud has shown how this narcissism works in our other forms of self love in ego libido, object libido, in our ego ideal and in our choice of things of daily life. He has incidentally mentioned that this narcissism developed from auto-eroticsm with some thing added to it. He writes... '...the autoerotic instincts are primordial ; so there must be something added to autoeroticism—some new operation in the mind—in order that narcissism may come into being'. Unfortuna- tely hs has not mentioned any thing about this 'new thing' or some new operation in the mind' which caused narcissism to come into being. An attempt may be made to probe into this mechanism. In the strict sense, in the autoerotic state of the mind, we presume, there is no clear reference to any stimulus causing either pleasure or pain, nor there is any clear reference to the 'body part or organ being the medium of such pleasure or pain./ Such experience at that level may be well compared with the concept of sensation in psychology. In the next stage gradually a process developes mainly from experience, wherefrom a causal relationship is established. For this relationship to grow we are " Read before the Indian Psycho-analytical Societty in the year I960, T. C. SIN HA SAMIKSA Vol. 18, No. 1 ] ON NARCISSISM to admit the potential capacity of- the mind to relate the source (also liking) It is not necessary to try to analyse this love of stimulus with the resulting reaction. In the early stage of further here. Only it will be sufficient to remember that two development such attempts and conclusions are not necesarily main desires in loye are (1) to give and (2) to get. In the first correct. Due to want of proper physical development better desire the narcissisric libido is changed into object libido. Accor- knowledge of the reality as aiso due to lesser capacity for ding to Bose a subject-object relationship is establised, where the rational thinking at that early stage, many faulty conclusions opposite wishes play their part. In the love siutation there the are drawn by the child. In the case of primitive people such ^object libido is nothing but ego-libido projected on to the object faulty conclusions are found to exist even in their matured and transformed into object libido. In other words, it is the adult stage. For instance some of the tribes of Polynesia fulfilment of the same narcissism in an objective situation. Both believe that pregnancy takes place when a woman takes a in the self-love and object-love it is the same narcissism playing dip in a particular lake or a particular corner of the I its part, either directly or through another medium by projection sea. Also a certain group of the Garos and Megams of Assam and identification. In this love situation a special kind of tie believe that if any young woman passes under a particular tree, grows with a tendency to overvaluation of the loved object. where the Mimangs or the souls of the dead persons are believed We may call this tie-fascination. The most important factor to reside, may become pregnant. The process, that they say, is ^.in the developement of narcissism is this fascination factor that seeing the young woman a particular mimang takes a fancy towards the self. Without this mental functioning narcissism for her and enters her womb. So the young woman who does can not be conceived of. Existence of a mere desire is not not like to be pregnant usually avoid passing under that tree. enough to explain the. tiue picture as is witnessed in love. But If however, that becomes unavoidable she walks in a bent posture, the pining for and the fascination for the object continues stooping forward, to give the idea of her old age to the mimangs resulting in the development of the tie with the object-love residing on the tree. They say the mimangs have no liking for which in its wake demands repeated fulfilment of pleasure. This an old woman therefore they do not enter the womb of an old /fascination is an important factor in a situation of love and woman and thus by the false pose of old age the young woman is a continuous process. When particular desire is satisfied this escapes from being pregnant With the spread of modern fascination does not necessarily die out but is often entranced, scientific knowledge such beliefs are becoming more rare. Inciden- though under some circumstances the fascination may appear to tally mention may be made of the belief in magic and various be less strong. This fascination is very similar to what is known other similar powers even in the members of the modern societies, as 'Moha' in Indian Philosophy. This fascination factor of the and in mental patients. I have digressed a little from the original mind binds us with the outer world makes it appear valuable point, to clarify the statement. Let me again come back to desirable and good on the one hand and on the other due to our point of discussion. As the causal relationship slowly but the influence of what has been said as ego-libido, the ego gradually developes, the pleasure-pain principle comes in the appears to be over valuable showing megalomanic ideas. It is field and the discriminatory power and desire also developes considered to be of great value for the beings of this world. / along with the development of the ego. Anxiety is felt at the This marcissism then makes it possible for us to find pleasure indication of any approach to a painful situation which the mind and happiness in this world in a colourful manner, when it works tries to avoid. We may say a negative relationship is gradually •^in the normal way. This also gives rise to what is known as established in the mind with reference to such objects and the self-regard. Later we shall come to this question of a brief situations. But in the situation of pleasure a particular type comparision of narcissism and moha. of positive relationship is established, which we may call love For the present I shall pass on to another aspect of T. C. SINHA [ SAMIKSA Vol. 18, No. 1 ] ON NARCISSISM narcissism. Even in the primary narcissistic stage ego libido causes Upanished, such as (God pervades everything that is there in self-evaluation. In paranoid and other paranoid states that the mego- this creation ) or (Whatever is, is God) on the one hand lomanic delusions have their root in this narcissistic stage, is well and and on the other hand with (Atman) or Brahma is known. Sense of prestige has the same narcissistic libido at its root. smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest) where the It is usually said that the feeling of insult is the product of repressed patient assumed the omnipotent role in a round about way but passive homosexuality. But unless the association of the narcissistic not as a defence. componant repressed with the homosexual desire is taken into The are mental cases who show strong narcissistic tendencies consideration the idea of the loss of prestige or the feeling of insult and are more mindful of the wish to get than to give, often to give can not be satisfactorily explained. Repressed homosexuaity may ' for them, is not only difficult but also entails some serious loss result- bring about the idea of danger, injury etc. but not of the loss of ing in devaluation of the ego or a sense of self devaluation. Whenever self value. In the passive homosexual situation when the narcissistic narcissism takes such a form, we find exixtence of some form of component is not injured the subject may happily accept the anxiety or jealousy guarding against any offering by the individual. It submissive situation when the danger of homosexual assault does not is not normal narcissism. It may rather be said to be a craving for interfere. A situation of submission by itself does not cause any narcissism. A craving like this can be there only when one feels difficulty when the narcissisti libido is well adjusted. - A borderland the want of the basic narcissism. It is difficult to know where from psychoneurotic young male patient in his early associations during or from what real want, repression or frustration this sense of analysis showed strong resistance against passive homosexual dificiency may result. It has been suggested that it arises from the tendencies and was suffering from constant anxiety symptoms. When feeling of the child or its failure to receive the desired amount and the narcissistic component of the passive homosexuality was adjusted quality of parental love. Experience shows that this explanation the patient had no idea of injury, pain, or sense of ego devaluation does not hold good in all cases.