This article examines one level of ego state theory: ego states as living links between past experiences and patterns in the here and now. If the theory of ego states is not limited to repetitive ego states, the concepts centered on repetition must be balanced by concepts centered on evolution. The idea of generalized representations of interactions, with its various consequences and links with transactional ideas, is examined as a way of understanding the evolution of ego states. This evolving character of ego states culminates in creativity and change. More generally, an idea such as ego states offers the practitioner a frame from which to choose interventions with less methodological or theoretical biases. Transactional analysis appears to be a particularly well-adapted starting point to answer the challenges of integration between methods and approaches in all fields.

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Article
Ego States as Living Links between past and Current Experiences
Pages 10-29
Published online: 28 Dec 2017