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Central Narcissism
When the narcissistic constellation approaches consciousness,
the way it manifests depends on how resolved our narcissistic
issues are. Here we will discuss general characteristics that
indicate the presence of these issues.
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Self esteem and essential value: a major concern is the question
of value, which manifests as preoccupation with self-esteem,
and various maneuvers meant to gain more of it or avoid losing
it.
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Narcissistic vulnerability: manifests as the tendency to
feel hurt, slighted or humiliated at the slightest indication
of lack of empathy, understanding, approval, value, admiration,
or recognition.
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Need for mirroring: the need for mirroring becomes exaggerated
at this point. This need is one element of the overall functioning
of the normal self, but at this point it takes center stage,
revealing its importance for our sense of identity.
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Specialness and uniqueness: the need for external mirroring
feedback typically becomes focused on the need to be recognized
as special and unique. This need reflects an exaggerated belief
in one's specialness, which in turn reflects an underlying feeling
of being insignificant.
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Grandiosity: the needs for specialness and importance are
qualities of central narcissism. These needs manifest at some
point as unrealistic and grandiose beliefs about who one is,
what he can do, and what he has accomplished.
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Idealization: grandiosity may alternate with or be hidden
by, an inordinate need to find persons to idealize.
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Deficient emptiness: one of the most characteristic manifestations
of narcissism is the painful state of emptiness, in which one
feels a deficient inner nothingness -- a vacuity, as if one
has nothing inside, no substance.
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Narcissistic rage and envy: the narcissistic individual,
or the normal individual at this phase of development, is prone
to intense anger, and irrational rage, which may take the form
of acute explosions or be chronic and vengeful.
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Fakeness: a singularly defining manifestation of narcissism
is the feeling of being fake, unreal, lacking authenticity.
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Depression: for some individuals the emptiness and meaninglessness
may manifest as a certain kind of depression: heavy, hopeless,
and helpless.
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Lack of support: The person increasingly feels a sense of
lack of support, as if he is unable to stand on his own feet,
psychologically he might feel a lack of balance, even physically.
(The Point of Existence, pg 157-164).
Realization of the Essential Identity makes up only the first
step in the resolution of central narcissism, and that central
narcissism emerges again at deeper levels of this experience.
Its resolution at these levels leads to the self-realization of
deeper dimensions of Being. The progressive self-realization of
deeper and deeper dimensions of Being, indicating the increasing
subtlety in its appreciation, finally culminates in the realization
of nondual Presence, which is the wholeness of the self, experienced
in its primordial original condition. (The Point of Existence,
pg 398)
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