Condensed Experience Systems (CES)

a) what gives rise to the appearance in a person’s life of a period of similar situations and events in which he will predominantly experience the same feeling (and this is accompanied by the formation of similar sensory complexes)?
b) what leads to the disappearance of this period and the appearance of another, in which a different feeling will predominantly manifest itself (and this will be accompanied by the formation of other similar sensory complexes)?

For empirical practice, it is a fact that answers to these questions can be obtained by studying the consequences of the ability of sensory complexes to unite into certain groups.

The guideline for their grouping is the sensory basis: sensory complexes that arise as a result of experiencing the same feeling are attracted to each other; Moreover, it is clear that the same feeling can be experienced for different reasons. The groups or associations formed in this way are called the System of Condensed Experience, or SEX. The author of this definition and theoretical developments relating to the formation and dynamics of the COEX system is Stanislav Grof. According to his conclusions, the order of manifestation of Systems of Condensed Experience, in particular, is determined by their energy level: the energetically most powerful of them dominates until it is replaced by another, energetically more powerful COEX system. The dynamics of the resolution of any COEX system, according to S. Grof’s figurative comparison, is similar to how leaf after leaf is removed from a head of cabbage: sensory complexes are resolved one after another, in the direction from the periphery to the center of the COEX system.

It should be noted that sensory complexes unite around structures already existing in the personal unconscious, which are called the “cores” of the COEX system. The “core” is the center of the North Caucasian system. According to S. Grof’s figurative comparison, the “core” is the cabbage stalk, which is what must be reached when resolving the CODE. How “nuclei” arise will be discussed in the next section. Each such “core” contains a powerful concentrate of some feeling. In other words, each “core” is the original, initial representation (original sensory complex) of a certain feeling in a person’s personal unconscious. Each “core” is joined by those sensory complexes that are formed as a result of a person’s experience of the same feeling that was the basis for the emergence of the “core”, and thus a COEX system is created. By joining the COEX system, each sensory complex increases its strength, adding its own energy potential to it. And, conversely, the resolution of each sensory complex leads to a decrease in the energy potential of the COEX system, which included this sensory complex. Each COEX system is capable of influencing a person’s life, attracting into it those situations during which sensory complexes of related content are formed. The most powerful of the COCS, being the dominant one, has more opportunities to generate life situations with the sensory content it needs, and increases its energy more successfully than others. Looking ahead a little, I will note that thereby it is moving more successfully than others to the moment when its resolution begins.

COEX system attracts events and gives rise to situations in which a person will experience a feeling similar to that inherent in its basis (in the “core”). Thus, the COEX system triggers the creation of new, self-related, sensory complexes. They are repressed into the personal unconscious, and they join the same COEX system. By joining it, they increase its ability to direct a person’s life to encounter situations in which they will experience a feeling similar to its basis. That is, they increase its ability to potentiate the formation of new, related to a given COEX system, sensory complexes. And they, in turn, will also join this COEX system and everything described above will be repeated again. We have a well-established “vicious circle” before us! The processes occurring in it inevitably lead to an increase in the energetic power of the COCS, to an increase in its ability to influence the course of a person’s life.

The dominant state of the energetically most powerful COEX system is maintained until the appearance of a more powerful COEX system. The reason leading to such a change may be dramatic or quite mundane; it can be the result of purposeful personal work or the result of some period of life filled with ordinary, everyday activities. In any case, when the most energetically powerful system is resolved, it will immediately be replaced by another with its inherent psychic background.

In the described cycle of formation of COEX systems, what is particularly interesting is the fact that this entire process takes place, ultimately, so that COEX systems can be resolved. It can be said that by creating situations in which the formation of new sensory complexes with a similar basis occurs, the COEX system wanted the result exactly opposite to its buildup: it created situations during which its resolution would be possible. After all, at the moment of manifestation of some feeling, a person has the opportunity to live it most fully. It becomes possible to attract already created, similar, sensory complexes into living. If this opportunity is realized, then the energy capacity of the SKO will decrease. The fact that very often this “her plan” is not realized is the merit of the person who interferes with the possible, spontaneous resolution of the situation. By preventing the full manifestation of feelings, a person delays the moment of a possible change in the COEX system, and contributes to an even greater increase in its energy. The main problem here is that when making decisions, many of us rely on conscious inferences, implying that the conscious mind knows better what we need than “some unconscious mind.” But in a situation with CODE, actions taken on the basis of this approach do not lead to the resolution of CODE. Therefore, up to a certain point in the “movement,” the continuous increase in the effects of COEX systems is a kind of payment for a person for his specific rationality. But one day “the cup will overflow,” and a person will have no other choice but to begin some kind of personal work. Therefore, the expression - everything that is done is for the better - is very usefully applicable to characterize how a person comes to consciously work with himself.

It was noted above that COEX systems are formed around “nuclei” that already exist in the personal unconscious. “Cores” are a kind of result of a person’s experience during his gestation and birth. The mental phenomenon itself, which reliably and accurately preserves the memory of the events of that period of a person’s life, is called the Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPM).

Before starting a conversation about the BPM, I would like to warn the reader against certain extremes: everything said about the unconscious cannot be perceived as Truth. This is always just the result of the desire to know oneself. A result that often allows us to provide each other with all possible help, but nothing more. So the author of the concept of Basic Perinatal Matrices - Stanislav Grof, once, when asked - what are Basic Perinatal Matrices after all? - answered that they do not exist, but in the life of every person, a period appears (and more than one) when what he experienced during one or another perinatal matrix is clearly visible in what is happening to him. That is, we can assume that they manifest themselves in a person’s life as a response to some urgent need.

Areas of the human unconscious: Data from LSD research [with drawings of patients!] Grof Stanislav

Condensed Experience Systems (CES)

Condensed Experience Systems (CES)

Condensed Experience System can be defined as a special condensation of memories, consisting of condensed experiences (and associated fantasies) of various periods of a person’s life. Memories belonging to a distinct system of condensed experience have a similar underlying theme or contain similar elements and are associated with a strong emotional charge of the same quality. The deepest layers of this system are represented by living and colorful memories from infancy and childhood. The more superficial layers of such a system include the memory of later periods, up to the present. Each COEX system has a core theme that permeates all layers and represents their common denominator. The nature of these themes varies greatly from one COEX system to another. Different layers of one system may, for example, contain all the memories of an individual's encounters with humiliating situations that destroyed his self-respect. In other cases, the common element may be anxiety experienced in relation to shocking and frightening events, feelings of claustrophobia or suffocation caused by various hopeless situations where there is no way to respond and defend oneself or to escape, and intense feelings of guilt and internal wrongness caused by many individual situations. . Experiencing emotional deprivation and rejection at various points in life is another motive for many COEX systems. Equally common are themes that portray sex as dangerous and repulsive, or themes that involve aggression and violence. Particularly important are the COEX systems, which represent and condense the experience of a person’s encounter with situations that threaten his life, health and integrity of the body. The extremely large emotional charge with which the COEX system is endowed (as is often evidenced by the powerful reaction that accompanies the opening of these systems in an LSD session) turns out to be the sum of the emotions belonging to all the memories that make up the COEX system of a particular type.

Individual condensed experience systems have fixed relationships with specific defense mechanisms and are associated with specific clinical symptoms. The detailed interdependence between individual parts and aspects of COEX system is in most cases not inconsistent with the Freudian way of thinking; a new element from a theoretical point of view is the concept of an organizing dynamic system that combines components into a separate functional unit. The personality structure usually contains a significant number of COEX systems. Their number, character, size and intensity vary greatly from one individual to another.

In accordance with the basic quality of the emotional charge, we can distinguish between negative COEX systems (condensing unpleasant emotional experiences) and positive ones (condensing pleasant emotional experiences and positive aspects of the individual’s past life). Although there is some interdependence and overlap, individual COEX systems can function relatively independently. In complex interaction with the environment, they selectively influence a person’s perception of himself and the world, his feelings, the ability to form ideas, and even many somatic processes. The concept of a condensed experience system is further illustrated by several clinical examples from psycholytic therapy. All these examples include negative COEX systems, which are found in the practice of psycholytic treatment much more often than positive ones, and carry a greater variety of manifestations.

Peter, a thirty-seven-year-old tutor, had been hospitalized and treated intermittently in our department for two years prior to the start of psycholytic therapy. Intensive psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy brought only a superficial and temporary cure for his serious psychopathology. His main problems at this time were symptoms that included a combination of elements of obsessive-compulsive disorder and masochism. He felt an almost constant compulsion to find a person with certain physiognomic features, preferably one dressed in black. His main intention was to make contact with this man, tell him his life story and ultimately reveal to him his deep desire to be locked in a dark basement, tied up and subjected to various diabolical physical and mental tortures. Unable to concentrate on anything else, he wandered the streets, going into parks, toilets, train stations and pubs, trying to find the right person. Several times he was "lucky" and was able to convince or bribe the people he chose to do what he asked. When this happened, he lost his sense of masochistic pleasure and instead felt horror and hatred towards the torture. Possessing a special gift for finding people with noticeable sadistic personality traits, he found himself in situations where he was nearly killed twice, seriously injured several times, and on one occasion tied up and robbed. In addition to this problem, the patient suffered from depression, which pushed him to commit suicide, from stress and anxiety, impotence and frequent seizures of epilepsy.

Two drawings made by a patient diagnosed with obsessional neurosis during a psychodynamic LSD session in which he explored his lack of confidence, his subordination, and his role as a husband under his wife's thumb.

Figure (a) is a symbolic representation of his concept of the male role.

The overall image is endowed with the horns of a bull and the ears of a donkey: these two animals are often used as symbols of stupidity. A beard stylized into a fish, suggesting a man's inability to assert himself verbally in a confrontation with a woman. Overall, the composition takes on the shape of a devil and reveals the patient’s hidden aggression.

Figure (b) reflects the patient's concept of the female role.

Beauty as an essential characteristic of femininity is symbolized by the rose. Sharp thorns dripping blood and various dangerous creatures in the perianth, such as scorpion, snake and scolopendra, indicate the danger hidden in this beauty.

Retrospective analysis showed that the main symptoms arose during forced labor in Germany during the Second World War, when two Nazi officers forced him at gunpoint to participate in their homosexual practices. When the war ended, he discovered that this experience had confirmed in him a predisposition to a passive homosexual role in sexual interaction. A few years later he developed a typical fetishism for black men's clothing. Gradually this turned into the masochistic desire described above, which led him to the need for treatment.

In a series of fifteen psycholytic sessions, a very interesting and important COEX system was gradually identified. Its surface layers consisted of Peter's memories of traumatic encounters with sadistic partners. On several occasions, the people he came into contact with actually tied him up with ropes, locked him in a basement without water or food, strangled him, and flogged him. One of his sadistic partners tied him up in the woods, hit him over the head with a large rock, and ran off with his wallet. Another similar subject promised Peter to lock him in the basement, which was supposed to be in his forest house. When they drove there together, Peter was surprised at the sight of his companion's strange-looking, bulky backpack. When the latter left the compartment to go to the toilet, Peter climbed onto the bench and examined the contents of the suspicious luggage. He found there a complete set of murder weapons, including a gun, a huge butcher knife, a surgical saw used in amputations, and a sharpened axe. In a panic, Peter jumped out of the moving train and was seriously injured. However, he was convinced that this maneuver saved his life. These and other dramatic episodes surfaced in early LSD sessions. Sadistic themes were also represented in a variety of symbolic forms.

The deeper layers of the same system consisted of Peter's experiences during the Third Reich. In an LSD session influenced by this part of the COEX, he relived in detail his experiences with homosexual Nazi officers, including all the complex feelings that these episodes awakened in him. In addition, many other memories of the war years surfaced, reflecting the atmosphere of Nazi tyranny. He had visions of swastika banners, pompous SS military parades, giant halls in the Reichstag and ominous eagle emblems, as well as emaciated prisoners of concentration camps, Gestapo raids and victims lined up in front of gas chambers.

Inner experiences of the same system related to Peter's childhood. In later sessions, he regressed into childhood and relived the punishments he had received from his parents. It turned out that his mother often locked him for long periods of time in a dark basement, leaving him without food, and the method of punishment on the part of his despot father was a very cruel flogging with a leather belt. At this point the patient realized that his masochistic desires were a copy of the cumulative parental punishments.

During the period of reliving these memories, there was a surprising fluctuation in the patient's main problem instead of its disappearance. In the end, Peter relived the agony of his birth trauma in all its biological cruelty. According to his later comment, it included the elements he expected from the sadistic treatment he so desperately sought: a dark, enclosed space, restriction of all bodily movements, and exposure to extreme physical and mental torture. Ultimately, re-experiencing the biological birth resolved its complex symptoms.

The experience of birth trauma lies outside the realm of psychodynamics, as it is usually understood in traditional psychotherapy. Its description has been included in the above case for the sake of logical completion - this phenomenon belongs to the next level of LSD experience, which will be considered in the next chapter.

A comparison of the previous clinical example with the subsequent one should confirm the fact that, despite significant differences in content, the formal dynamic structures are very similar to each other. It turns out that in each individual case, similar traumatic events from various periods of life are remembered in close connection with the oldest experience of such a series, which represents the primary trauma. The most recent event, which forms the prototypical pattern, constitutes the core of the COEX system - the “central experience” of the system. The totality of later memories is organized around this core, and the entire COEX system as a whole usually refers to a particular aspect of biological birth (see the discussion of perinatal matrices, Chapter 4).

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Taking the dominance of some feeling as a guide, we can identify periods of varying duration in a person’s life, in each of which the manifestation of some feeling will be predominant. Moreover, it is quite obvious that during this period a person and events are predominantly attracted to those in which he will experience exactly this feeling. For some it will be fear, for others it will be joy, for others it will be loneliness, for others it will be love, etc. Over the course of a person's life, such predominance in manifestation can pass from one feeling to another, like a relay baton. Since this fact is obvious, it is important for us to understand - what determines the presence of a predominant manifestation of a particular feeling with all the ensuing consequences from this predominance? For ease of consideration, this issue can be divided into two smaller ones:
a) what gives rise to the appearance in a person’s life of a period of similar situations and events in which he will predominantly experience the same feeling (and this is accompanied by the formation of similar sensory complexes)?
b) what leads to the disappearance of this period and the appearance of another, in which a different feeling will predominantly manifest itself (and this will be accompanied by the formation of other similar sensory complexes)?
For empirical practice, it is a fact that answers to these questions can be obtained by studying the consequences of the ability of sensory complexes to unite into certain groups.
The guideline for their grouping is the sensory basis: sensory complexes that arise as a result of experiencing the same feeling are attracted to each other; Moreover, it is clear that the same feeling can be experienced for different reasons. The groups or associations formed in this way are called the System of Condensed Experience, or SEX. The author of this definition and theoretical developments concerning the formation and dynamics of the RMSE is Stanislav Grof. According to his conclusions, the order of manifestation of Systems of Condensed Experience, in particular, is determined by their energy level: the energetically most powerful of them dominates until it is replaced by another, energetically more powerful COEX system. The dynamics of the resolution of any COEX system, according to S. Grof’s figurative comparison, is similar to how leaf after leaf is removed from a head of cabbage: sensory complexes are resolved one after another, in the direction from the periphery to the center of the COEX system.
It should be noted that sensory complexes unite around structures already existing in the personal unconscious, which are called the “cores” of the COEX system. The “core” is the center of the North Caucasian system. According to S. Grof’s figurative comparison, the “core” is the cabbage stalk, which is what we need to get to when resolving the SKO. How “nuclei” arise will be discussed in the next section. Each such “core” contains a powerful concentrate of some feeling. In other words, each “core” is the original, initial representation (original sensory complex) of a certain feeling in a person’s personal unconscious. Each “core” is joined by those sensory complexes that are formed as a result of a person’s experience of the same feeling that was the basis for the emergence of the “core”, and thus a COEX system is created. By joining the COEX system, each sensory complex increases its strength, adding its own energy potential to it. And, conversely, the resolution of each sensory complex leads to a decrease in the energy potential of the COEX system, which included this sensory complex. Each COEX system is capable of influencing a person’s life, attracting into it those situations during which sensory complexes of related content are formed. The most powerful of the COCS, being the dominant one, has more opportunities to generate life situations with the sensory content it needs, and increases its energy more successfully than others. Looking ahead a little, I will note that thereby it is moving more successfully than others to the moment when its resolution begins.
COEX system attracts events and gives rise to situations in which a person will experience a feeling similar to that inherent in its basis (in the “core”). Thus, the COEX system triggers the creation of new, self-related, sensory complexes. They are repressed into the personal unconscious, and they join the same COEX system. By joining it, they increase its ability to direct a person’s life to encounter situations in which they will experience a feeling similar to its basis. That is, they increase its ability to potentiate the formation of new, related to a given COEX system, sensory complexes. And they, in turn, will also join this COEX system and everything described above will be repeated again. We have a well-established “vicious circle” before us! The processes occurring in it inevitably lead to an increase in the energetic power of the COCS, to an increase in its ability to influence the course of a person’s life.
The dominant state of the energetically most powerful COEX system is maintained until the appearance of a more powerful COEX system. The reason leading to such a change may be dramatic or quite mundane; it can be the result of purposeful personal work or the result of some period of life filled with ordinary, everyday activities. In any case, when the most energetically powerful system is resolved, it will immediately be replaced by another with its inherent psychic background.
In the described cycle of formation of COEX systems, what is particularly interesting is the fact that this entire process takes place, ultimately, so that COEX systems can be resolved. It can be said that by creating situations in which the formation of new sensory complexes with a similar basis occurs, the COEX system wanted the result exactly opposite to its buildup: it created situations during which its resolution would be possible. After all, at the moment of manifestation of some feeling, a person has the opportunity to live it most fully. It becomes possible to attract already created, similar, sensory complexes into living. If this opportunity is realized, then the energy capacity of the SKO will decrease. The fact that very often this “her plan” is not realized is the merit of the person who interferes with the possible, spontaneous resolution of the situation. By preventing the full manifestation of feelings, a person delays the moment of a possible change in the COEX system, and contributes to an even greater increase in its energy. The main problem here is that when making decisions, many of us rely on conscious inferences, implying that the conscious mind knows better what we need than “some unconscious mind.” But in a situation with CODE, actions taken on the basis of this approach do not lead to the resolution of CODE. Therefore, up to a certain point in the “movement,” the continuous increase in the effects of COEX systems is a kind of payment for a person for his specific rationality. But one day “the cup will overflow,” and a person will have no other choice but to begin some kind of personal work. Therefore, the expression - everything that is done is for the better - is very usefully applicable to characterize how a person comes to consciously work with himself.
It was noted above that COEX systems are formed around “nuclei” that already exist in the personal unconscious. “Cores” are a kind of result of what a person experienced during his gestation and birth. The mental phenomenon itself, which reliably and accurately preserves the memory of the events of that period of a person’s life, is called the Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPM).
Before starting a conversation about the BPM, I would like to warn the reader against certain extremes: everything said about the unconscious cannot be perceived as Truth. This is always just the result of the desire to know oneself. A result that often allows us to provide each other with all possible help, but nothing more. So the author of the concept of Basic Perinatal Matrices - Stanislav Grof, once, when asked - what are Basic Perinatal Matrices after all? - answered that they do not exist, but in the life of every person, a period appears (and more than one) when what he experienced during one or another perinatal matrix is clearly visible in what is happening to him. That is, we can assume that they manifest themselves in a person’s life as a response to some urgent need.

CONDENSED EXPERIENCE SYSTEMS or COE are specific clusters of memories that contain condensed experiences (and associated fantasies) from different periods of a person’s life. Memories belonging to a particular COEX system usually have a common underlying theme or contain similar elements and are associated with a strong emotional charge of the same quality. The deepest layers are represented by living and vivid memories of events in childhood or infancy. The more superficial layers represent memories from later in life, up to the present.

Each COEX system has a main theme that permeates all its levels and, as it were, constitutes a common denominator. The nature of these topics may vary. Different levels of a particular COEX system can, for example, collect memories of situations of humiliation of a person that destroyed his self-respect. Experiences of emotional deprivation and rejection at different periods of life - Another frequently encountered motive for COEX. Equally common are COEX themes that portray sex as dangerous and repulsive, or that involve aggression and violence. Particularly important are the COEX systems, which concentrate the experience of a person’s encounter with situations that are dangerous to his health or life, or with cases of injury. The enormous emotional charge of COEX systems, often manifested in the violent reaction that accompanies their deployment in psychotherapy and transpersonal therapy, represents, in essence, the summation of emotions associated with all memories of a certain kind.

Individual standard deviations clearly correlate with specific defense mechanisms and specific clinical symptoms. The detailed relationships between individual elements and aspects of COEX system are largely consistent with Freud's theoretical ideas. New from a theoretical point of view is the idea of an organizing dynamic system that combines components into a specific functional whole. The personality structure usually contains a significant number of COEX systems. Their nature, total number, volume and intensity are different for all people.

What are the types of standard deviation systems? (systems of condensed experience)

In accordance with the quality of the emotional charge, one can distinguish between negative (collecting unpleasant emotional experiences) and positive (collecting pleasant emotional experiences and positive experiences) COEX systems. Despite certain interdependence and overlap, individual COCS can function quite independently. They form a person’s selective perception of himself and the world, his feelings and thinking in complex interaction with the environment, and even many somatic processes.

Reliving experiences contained at various levels of the COEX system is one of the phenomena most frequently and consistently observed in transpersonal therapy for mental illness. These repeated experiences are very realistic, alive and complex, they are characterized by convincing signs of regression of the subject to the age of the actual experience of the event.

Experiences that can form the core of negative COEX systems can theoretically include a wide range of situations that threaten the child’s sense of security and satisfaction of basic needs. The very first, central, experiences may relate to infancy. Experiences of oral frustration associated with a rigid feeding schedule, insufficient or absent milk supply, or with tension, anxiety, nervousness and lack of love on the part of the mother and her inability to create an emotionally warm, calm and protective atmosphere are very common. Other childhood traumatic experiences are also common.

Reliving traumatic childhood events is often accompanied by significant changes in clinical symptoms, patient behavior patterns, and their values and attitudes. The powerful transformative effect of reliving (or imprinting) and integrating such memories suggests the existence of a more significant dynamic principle.

What is the core of the system?

The most important part of COEX systems (systems of condensed experience) is the core of experiences. This is the first experience of a certain kind, registered by the brain and forming the basis of a specific COEX system. This experience becomes a prototype, a matrix for recording subsequent similar events in memory banks. Why certain events traumatize a child so much that they influence the psychodynamics of development for many years or decades is difficult to explain. Psychoanalysts usually attribute this to constitutional and hereditary factors of unknown nature.

The existence of dynamic similarities between a particular traumatic childhood incident and a particular aspect of birth trauma (perinatal traumatization) is another important fact. In this case, the traumatic encounter in later situations may actually be a reactivation of some aspect of the psychobiological birth memory.