Sigrell, B. (2000). Psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy. Nature and culture. Printed in Falköping

Primitive idealization

"Primitive idealization means creating an omnipotent, thoroughly good object, that serves as a protection against all evil. This phenomenon is recognized from the imaginations of children and the world of fairy tales (Alladin's lamp – my almighty servant). When a person uses primitive idealization and portrays someone else as amazing, he wants to gain possession of all the amazing qualities that he imagines the idealized person has. What distinguishes the idealized object from a truly good object is the oscillate between idealization and devaluation. A truly good object is also distinguished by being sure to be loved by that person. When it comes to primitive idealization, there is always an unconsciously strong fear of not really being loved, of not being worth anything." (pages 69-70)

Omnipotence and devaluation

"In order to protect himself, the individual can take an omnipotent posture, i.e. believe that they can cope with all problems and difficulties. He can also use the devaluation of others. In this way, he avoids threats from the inside as well as from the outside world." (p71)

The Grandiose Self

"If, in the early stages of development, when natural narcissism is at its peak, the child does not receive the appreciation and support it needs, it will find it difficult to meet the demands of reality. Then the child reacts with disappointment, psychological pain and rage. To protect yourself from all these strong emotions that threaten to overwhelm the child, it creates a different image of itself, an idealized image. Through a fantasy that it can satisfy its own needs, the child can now emotionally withdraw. It's like the child saying to himself, 'Since my parents don't give me what I need, I guess I'll be my own parent.'

This inner idealized self-image has been called _det grandiose självet_. And that's what's distinctive about the adult with narcissistic personality disorder: he denies having a need for others. The grandiose self also leads to the importance of both other people and a large part of the inner object representations. All negatively colored self-images are denied and projected onto other individuals, which are thus disparaged and unnecessary." (s77-78)