“Jointness” as Integration of Merging and Separateness in Object Relations and Narcissism

Abstract

"Jointness" represents an encounter between mother and infant or any partners experiencing simultaneously mutual satisfaction of surrendering while concomitantly safeguarding separateness. The merging and separateness need to be constantly regulated. This continuous movement creates a "psychic space" between partners and elicits the triangulation in object relations. "Media" is created through the "psychic space" by the mutual investment of the partners in a joint object, phenomenon or idea, cathected and meaningful to both. Such a dynamic process paves the way to a sense of narcissistic restoration and culminates to establish the narcissistic integrity. In contrast, symbiosis is a dyadic pathological process, from the beginning of life, producing narcissistic fragility.