1. "Reaching out to People in Comatose States: Are Contact and Communication Possible?"

Extended abstract:

This research is an extensive survey and the first explorative empirical study of awareness in comatose states and the possibility of contact and communication with comatose patients in a neurological intensive care unit setting using process-oriented coma work methods developed by Arnold Mindell.
The study provides present-day definitions and comparisons of terms such as coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, locked-in syndrome and psychogenic unresponsiveness in the field of neuroscience. Standard definitions of consciousness and its assessment by coma scales, coma scoring systems and neurological correlates are be presented. Findings of comatose and vegetative state patients’ ability not only to hear (sensation) but also to understand meaning (perception) are presented. A survey of studies on patients’ reports after a period of unconsciousness shows evidence for awareness in so-called unconscious states. Studies which have surveyed diagnostic accuracy in respect of vegetative state and minimally conscious state in recent years show up to 43% of misdiagnosis and reveal the challenge of assessing disorders of consciousness. A survey of most relevant recent findings of evidence of consciousness in coma, vegetative state and minimally conscious state and also reports on late improvement from vegetative state and minimally conscious state are reported. A further investigation of consciousness revisiting the definitions, basic assumptions and current basic questions are shared. Wilber’s integral theory of consciousness, Tart’s concept of altered states of consciousness and Mindell’s dreambody and field concepts are explained to come to a deeper understanding and wider concept of consciousness and to the process-oriented approach to people in comatose states. A short overview of rehabilitation methods is followed by a description of process-oriented coma work and its basic assumptions, methods and application. All strands presented lead to an integral process-oriented approach to people in comatose states: different approaches to consciousness are set in a wider context, philosophical, cultural and ethical aspects and their consequences are discussed and finally the process-oriented approach to comatose people is explored from a personal, relationship, environmental and field point of view.
Effects of process-oriented coma work interventions and Arnold Mindell’s assumptions on which they are based were tested. Mindell assumes that coma is not a state of absence of consciousness as defined in neuroscience but an extremely deep altered state of consciousness in which there is potential for awareness. Contact and communication can be established by radically related process-oriented coma work interventions.
It was assumed that process-oriented interventions will lead to an increase in skin conductance level and skin conductance responses compared to a baseline measurement and that these interventions will lead to a higher increase than during the coma depth assessment. Coma depth was assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale (score of <8). From the 16 patients who took part in the research 7 were included in the study.
The results confirm the four hypotheses: 1. Skin conductance level (SCL) significantly increased in the intervention compared to the baseline. 2. The increase in SCL during process-oriented coma work intervention was greater than during Glasgow Coma Scale assessment. 3. Skin conductance responses (SCR) showed highly significant results during process-oriented intervention compared to the baseline. 4. The increase in SCR during process-oriented coma work intervention was greater than during Glasgow Coma Scale assessment.
This dynamic mirrors an increase of chronological integration of processes in different compartments of neuronal activity which is a neurological correlate, a presupposition of consciousness and a precursor of overt behavior. The results show evidence for awareness in comatose patients and for process-oriented coma interventions as a valid coma rehabilitation method.

2. "Affektives ablehnendes Verhalten als Merkmal einer Projektion am Beispiel des Machtkomplexes"

Experimentelles Praktikum II, WS 1997/98, Praktikumsleiter: Dipl.-Psych. H. Götzl
Peter Ammann, Gräfrather Str. 28, 42329 Wuppertal
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Fakultät für Psychologie, D-44780 Bochum

Zusammenfassung:
Diese Untersuchung geht einer Annahme der Prozeß-orientierten Psychologie Arnold Mindells (Bereich der Tiefenpsychologie) nach. Mindell sagt, dass man seine unbewußte Persönlichkeitsanteile(sekundäre Prozesse) entdecken kann, indem man sich fragt, welche Person und das mit ihr verbundene Verhalten man affektiv ablehnt. Dieser Annahme liegt das Phänomen der Projektion zugrunde.
Diese Fragestellung wurde am Beispiel von Macht überprüft. Es wurde mittels eines projektiven Tests die Machtmotivation und mit verschiedenen Fragebögen die bewusste Einstellung der Versuchspersonen (Vpn) zu Macht ermittelt. In der experimentellen Situation betrachteten die Vpn machtthematische und neutrale Filmszenen. Nach jeder Filmszene gaben die Vpn mit Hilfe des Eindrucksdifferential nach Ertel an, welchen gefühlsmäßigen Eindruck die Filmszene bei ihnen hinterlassen hat. Während der ganzen Zeit wurden die Vpn videographiert, um über die mimische Reaktion einen weiteren indirekten Eindruck der affektiven Beurteilung zu erhalten.
Die Ergebnisse konnten diese Mindells Annahme signifikant bestätigen und standen in Bezug auf die Machtmotivation auch im Einklang mit den Befunden der Motivationspsychologie. Diese, wenn auch eher kleine Studie, ist eine weitere der wenigen, die das Phänomen der Projektion empirisch überprüft haben.

Schlüsselwörter: Projektion, bewusste und unbewusste Einstellung zu Macht, TAT, Eindrucksdifferential, affektive Bewertung von Filmszenen.

In Kürze wird die ganze Arbeit mit Abbildungen als PDF hier zu finden sein!