The Dual-Mask Model and Transactional Analysis

We can see that a mask is a self-concept schema overlay which can hold a position, or rule. behind that position, in Dual-Mask thinking, there will be props, and in particular, those will hold more reasons to want to save the parent first, than reasons to think they can fix themselves without a healthy parent for support.

Dual-mask Props

In the dual-mask theory, one concept is the notion that any life position, or decision about the self, does not usually come from a single attempt and failure. The human organism is far more resilient that one might think, and our natural impulse to actualise and grow will have us trying many times, before we become convinced a potential ability or skill is not feasible.

We therefore consider this decision making process to be the organism, collecting collapsive and supportive “props”; Lists of pros and cons to a decision, the more collapsive props, the stronger the likelihood of the child admitting defeat. In abusive, dysfunctional environments, a child can collect many, many negative collapsive props, that undermine or limit their ability to access their innate, genetically sourced abilities.

The danger of Rumination

Rumination, therefore, can be seen as sometimes, the runaway creation of multiple collapsive props, often based upon negative outlooks and assumptions, that are often taken as fact. Life positions in themselves.

We can also see, that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works to counteract that imbalance of negative, collapsive self-assumptions, either by undermining them via rational thinking and logic, or by adding to the list of supportive props, via positive thinking, and self-affirmations, for example.

Too many Collapsive Props

That means that in our model, this persons reasoning for adopting that incongruent life position, there will be more collapsive props in their mind, than supportive. Each collapsive prop, possibly formed by a repetitive hardship/trauma, that caused them to think that healing their parent would be easier or a higher priority than healing themselves.

Often it is because the small child feels trapped, with the cause of their discomfort, which means that they can come to the belief that it can only be removed, if they can heal their parent/source. It is a type of rational, yet incongruent, childlike way of thinking, for them to ask their “saviour” archetype, to heal their parent first.

Unwitting Symbolic Transfer

Our understanding of how symbolism is at work in our minds, indicates that this need to save, may transfer to any other “father/mother figure”, that comes along later in life, including marital partners. That may include proving to them that they are ill, in the first place.

Seen in this way; masks as schema overlays, allows us to visualise TA life positions via hierarchical “props”, collapsive justifications (repetitive hardships, proving the aim of healing to be futile) resulting in the prioritisation of the parent-rescue over self-healing. journals.kmanpub​

Collapsive Props Hierarchy

These props form a dual layered hierarchy that we suggest means that the earliest props, and the coping decisions we make as a result, have the greatest priority within the mask filtering decision for that aspect of the core-self schema. This forms the rationale behind the decision-making process that cause the child to become the adult with that life position (e.g., “I’m Not OK, You’re OK”): counsellingtutor​

• Surface Props Decision: “I believe myself to be broken/unwell”.
• Layer 2 Mask: “Therapist/partner will fix me” (help-seeker schema).
• Mid Props Decision: “Parent unhealed = my fault; fix them first” (loyalty/guilt injunctions from hardships: repeated betrayal).
• Layer 1 Genomic Mask: “Self-heal impossible without satisfaction of incongruent attachment based decision/demand.” (pruned autonomy; collapsive loops > supportive memories), leading the adult to sabotage their own healing, effectively demanding that the cause of their incongruent coping, Be forced into therapy and healed, first. ta-course​
• Overall Prop Balance: Trauma repetition will amplify the number of negative, collapsive props holding that Layer 1 secret life position in place. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih​

Example Table (Victim Position)