Mirroring and Cybernetics

by Walter Logerman

Recently, Walter became reacquainted with this article, originally written in January, 1987. For the full backstory visit Walter's blog.

Just prior to running a social skills group I had been reflecting on Gregory Bateson's ideas about the nature of information and new responses and how that might relate to Moreno's notion of spontaneity.

Bateson's thinking is that: for the material universe… the "cause" of an event is some force or impact exerted by some part of the material system exerted upon another part. One part acts upon another part. In contrast, in the world of ideas, it takes a relationship … to activate some third component which we may call the receiver. What the receiver … responds to is a difference or a change (Bateson, 1980, p 106).

Moreno called the "response of an individual to a new situation -- and the new response to an old situation spontaneity." (Moreno, 1977, p 50.) It became clear to me that the ability to perceive difference is a crucial, perhaps a necessary prerequisite for spontaneity. I saw more clearly one of the purposes of the psychodramatic technique of mirroring, it allows information, potentially lost* to be maximised and responded to.

The focus in the group was on friendship. John was the protagonist. He wanted to be a better friend to himself. He was responding to himself with critical, angry blaming, "You never complete anything, so why should it be different now!" He continued like this for some time. Then there was the flicker of a new role: "You are making some progress and I do want to support you but … " then the more developed attacking continued.

My response was: "Ah, did you notice that! Did anyone else see that? For a moment John was quite different." I asked group members to mirror what they had seen.

John observed as people mirrored aspects of the attacking and of the supporting. For dramatic impact I instructed the auxiliaries to stay on the stage and to maximise the roles they mirrored.

Director: John, stand right there between these two groups. Experience them both and then respond to yourself.
John stood there, looking at himself as portrayed by the auxiliary, and experienced the two very different roles being enacted each side of him. There was a moment of suspense as we waited for the response.*

John to John: You can do it!
In the role reversal I dismissed all the additional auxiliaries who had been mirroring, the only one remaining was the one original chosen for the role of John.  John saw and heard himself say very fully, "You can do it!" and responded with tears of relief.

I appreciated the way my directing in this session was enhanced by my understanding of mirroring as part of cybernetic loop. Mirroring (maximising, role reversal) provides "news of difference" which then allows for the new response (spontaneity).

* As Bateson put it: We draw distinctions; that is we pull them out. Those distinctions that remain undrawn are not. They are lost forever with the sound of the falling tree which Bishop Berkeley did not hear." (Bateson, 1980, p 107.)

REFERENCES.

Bateson, Gregory, Mind and Nature: A necessary unity. Bantam, New York, 1980.
Moreno, J.L., Psychodrama. First Volume. Fourth Edition. Beacon House, New York, 1977.