Saturday, 7 April 2018

Transactional Analysis Theory - Stroke Theory Introduction

This blog comes from Ajit Karve, a Transformational TA Coach
+919822024037; ajitpkarve@gmail.com
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 Stroke Theory Introduction
Stimulus hunger is the most fundamental of the six psychological hungers. Stimulus hunger needs are met through the agency of strokes. We smile and look at each other, we touch each other. We also touch each other symbolically. We listen to each other and like our presence being acknowledged. The commodity used to do all this is stroke.
Stroke represents an infant's need for touch. Rene Spitz (1987-1974) was an Austrian born, American Psychoanalyst. His area of specialisation was child development. He found that physical, maternal and emotional deprivation in infancy results in severe neurological and emotional damage. He called the condition anaclytic depression. There is also this famous story of Victor. He was a 'feral child' resembling a human. He was assessed to be twelve years old when he was captured in Aveyron forest in Southern France in 1797. Attempts to socialise with him failed several times. French scientists, physicians and psychiatrists concluded that he had been deprived of human physical touch all his life. It resulted in his retarded psychological, emotional and social development.

Today it is recognised that being touched, being held, being close to each other, being patted, and being hugged safely, results in decreased violent tendencies and in experiencing safety and trust. It also results in decreased disease and better immunity, cooperation in groups and teams, as also capacity for non-sexual emotional intimacy, engagement in learning and overall well being.

Stroke is a unit of recognition. It promotes social action. People seek strokes because it has survival value. Besides it is also stimulating. A spoken word, a look, being heard, touched and being recognised are the means in which strokes are exchanged. Exchanged because in giving there is receiving. In receiving there is acknowledgement. Any stroke be it healthy or unhealthy is better than no stroke at all. Little wonder that people seek situations, events, incidents, encounters, occurrences that provide strokes. Even seasoned criminals dread solitary confinement that highlights the significance of strokes.

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