Abstract
This article addresses the distinction between the subjective ego experience and the objectification of the ego experience. The need for such a distinction is demonstrated by case material, and the beginnings of the evolution toward a deeper understanding of psychic structure are described. These beginnings start with a consideration of the observable states of the ego, which have been metaphorically defined as the Parent, Adult, and Child ego states. The formulations of psychic structure, as presented in this article, illustrate how the work of Paul Federn, Eduardo Weiss, and Mary Edwards Goulding has influenced the author's current understanding of psychic structure.