Narcissism and Character Transformation: The Psychology of Narcissistic Character Disorders

I found the book a challenge to read because it is so deep and talks about the most profound reaches of the psyche. I have studied this book for years and as I mature, I find more layers of meaning.

Schwartz-Salant thoroughly maps the evolution of the shifting philosophical and psychoanalytic interpretations of the narcissistic character. Unlike some other Jungian material I have on this topic, Salant's tone never becomes rigidly mythological or anti-scientific. Archetypal dimensions of narcissistic pathology are always integrated with the more personalistic viewpoints and his writing is uniformly exquisite and engrossing throughout the text. This is a true gem. Invaluable to anyone curious about personality formation from a psychoanalytic perspective. Geared towards a clinical audience but digestible to any reader with a background in psychology. (I also recommend another Salant book: The Mystery of Human Relationship. Equally dazzling.)

My first reading of this book was not very good; however, wondering why I felt this way, I immediately went back to review the contents of this book. Realistically and honestly considered, I was not prepared for what I was reading; and then, "IT" dawned on me...I was reading about my own family experience...which means I was reading about myself and my own psychology of being.This Jungian-styled book turned out to be an excellent introductory book for me, and will be remembered by me as the pivotal work that led me into the field of Heinz Kohut's work on Narcissism and Self Psychology...a field I was completely unaware of personally.

From the introduction: The narcissistic character structure is a pattern that is a link between the personal and the archetypal realms. Accordingly, it is found in any archetypal pattern entering space/time reality, and within any personality structure. The narcissistic character disorder per se is a paradigm of a general structuring of psyche, and studying it is of value not only in dealing with personalities dominated by this condition, but also for understanding its manifestation in various psychological conditions. From the back cover: For 2,000 years the story of Narcissus' involvement with his own reflection has been a rich source of speculation on the condition and salvation of the human soul. This book, drawing upon a variety of psychoanalytic points of view, throws new light on the issues posed by narcissistic character disorders and the problems of personal identity. Here is a practical guide to the psychology and the phenomenology of narcissism: what it looks like, what it means and how to deal with it. Using extensive case material and different versions of the Narcissus myth, the author demonstrates how an understanding of the universal, archetypal patterns that underlie the individual clinical symptoms of narcissism can point the way to a healthy restructuring of the personality -- including a harmonious balance between masculine and feminine. This book is unique in its scope. Clinically, it focuses on the psychology of envy, rage, exhibitionism, idealization, grandiosity, the need for mirroring, fear of the unconscious, and the ego-Self relationship; it describes the dynamics involved in projection and transference-countertransference; it illustrates the difference between masculine and feminine power; it examines the relationship between body and psyche; and it differentiates between the inner joyful child and a masochistic one. Mythologically, it shows the importance for individual psychology of not only Narcissus and his female "companion" Echo, but also Osiris, Dionysos, Demeter, Persephone and Hermes Mercurius. Overall, this book illustrates the process of character transformation, its down-to-earth clinical orientation nicely balanced by an archetypal perspective. It has a vision and a clarity of style that will appeal to both laymen and professional therapists.