A complex can’t be reasoned with. When it is activated, it will play out the dynamics of its programming in the world. There is no objective reality from the perspective of a complex. It operates from the original wounding and does everything it can to protect the underlying vulnerability and innocence. In the case of a narcissistic defence, all feedback will be interpreted as an attack and a counter-offence will be launched, constellating the complex with others.
In the terminology of Internal Family Systems (IFS) we speak about the ‘Protectors’ of the ‘Innocent Ones’ or ‘Exiles’. They may often present as bodyguards of a younger self but somehow, instead of truly protecting these vulnerable parts, they cause immense pain which the individual enacts in the world.
In Jungian terms we may speak of a negative animus (masculine principle) in a woman, where the masculine holds the feminine hostage and causes her immense pain. Born from a father complex, where the masculine way of being in the world was held in high esteem and the feminine devalued (common to patriarchal values) and a woman became a ‘father’s daughter’ while devaluing all aspects of the feminine approach.
A dream may elucidate: “The dreamer steps forward from a crowd to meet face-to-face with an unknown celebrity. The female celebrity smiles but winces in pain when her dullard body guard pulls on the barb wires embedded under her skin across her collar bone. ”
The dreamer was familiar with the Netflix series “Shadow & Bone”, where the main character, Alina Starkov become a celebrity - ‘The Sun Summoner’, the only one capable of destroying the Shadow Fold. However, she was held hostage by the male lead, namely the complex and polarizing character of The Darkling. By means of a ring that connected them, he controlled her through her own power, the antlers of her power animal, the stag embedded in her collar bone underneath her skin. She needed to disconnect from him, truly owning her own power and killing off the complex.
The need to control is a reaction to the fear of being controlled. The power complex arises from being powerless and defenceless against the control of a powerful other.
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