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Born: 9/1/1902 Klarów, Poland Died: 11/26/1980 Warsaw.
Page presented by Bill Tillier.
Created in 1995.
On this website, you can explore an extensive collection of Kazimierz Dąbrowski's work and gain insight into his theory of positive disintegration. This theory delves into the growth of personality and the attainment of an individual's genuine and distinct identity. In addition, you can access a comprehensive archive of Dąbrowski's works, as well as an archive of related works.
▣ 1.1 A short introductory film. By Zeke Degraw, used with permission.
▣ 1.2 Four seminal quotes set the stage.
1). "Personality: A self-aware, self-chosen, self-affirmed, and self-determined unity of essential individual psychic qualities. Personality as defined here appears at the level of secondary integration" (Dąbrowski, 1972, p. 301).
2). "The propensity for changing one's internal environment and the ability to influence positively the external environment indicate the capacity of the individual to develop. Almost as a rule, these factors are related to increased mental excitability, depressions, dissatisfaction with oneself, feelings of inferiority and guilt, states of anxiety, inhibitions, and ambivalences—all symptoms which the psychiatrist tends to label psychoneurotic. Given a definition of mental health as the development of the personality, we can say that all individuals who present active development in the direction of a higher level of personality (including most psychoneurotic patients) are mentally healthy" (Dąbrowski, 1964, p. 112).
3). "Intense psychoneurotic processes are especially characteristic of accelerated development in its course towards the formation of personality. According to our theory accelerated psychic development is actually impossible without transition through processes of nervousness and psychoneuroses, without external and internal conflicts, without maladjustment to actual conditions in order to achieve adjustment to a higher level of values (to what 'ought to be'), and without conflicts with lower level realities as a result of spontaneous or deliberate choice to strengthen the bond with reality of higher level" (Dąbrowski, 1972, p. 220).
4). "Psychoneuroses 'especially those of a higher level' provide an opportunity to 'take one's life in one's own hands'. They are expressive of a drive for psychic autonomy, especially moral autonomy, through transformation of a more or less primitively integrated structure. This is a process in which the individual himself becomes an active agent in his disintegration, and even breakdown. Thus the person finds a 'cure' for himself, not in the sense of a rehabilitation but rather in the sense of reaching a higher level than the one at which he was prior to disintegration. This occurs through a process of an education of oneself and of an inner psychic transformation. One of the main mechanisms of this process is a continual sense of looking into oneself as if from outside, followed by a conscious affirmation or negation of conditions and values in both the internal and external environments. Through the constant creation of himself, though the development of the inner psychic milieu and development of discriminating power with respect to both the inner and outer milieus—an individual goes through ever higher levels of 'neuroses' and at the same time through ever higher levels of universal development of his personality" (Dąbrowski, 1972, p. 4).
These quotes capture the heart of Dąbrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration. The theory describes a process of personality development—the creation of a unique, individual personality.
Many individuals are socialized by their early family and school experiences, often internalizing the values and norms of society without much questioning. However, some may start to envision greater possibilities in life, leading to disparities driven by overexcitability, which is an intense reaction to the stimuli of everyday life. This heightened perception of reality creates a hierarchy, where both external and internal aspects of life are evaluated on a continuum of lower versus higher. Such an experience can cause deep and painful conflicts between habitual reactions based on one's upbringing and the volitional possibilities of growth. These conflicts can lead to disintegrations and psychoneuroses, which are viewed as hallmarks of advanced growth by Dąbrowski. With time and advanced development, these conflicts can be reconciled.
Dąbrowski recognized the impact of heredity as the first factor and the dehumanizing effect of the social environment as the second factor. However, he identified a third factor that goes beyond heredity and the environment. “Its activity is autonomous in relation to the first factor (hereditary) and the second (environmental) factor. It consists in a selective attitude with regard to the properties of one's own character and temperament, as well as, to environmental influences” (Dąbrowski, 1973, p. 80). This factor involves a selective approach towards one's own character and temperament as well as environmental influences. The third factor initially manifests as a person's resistance to lower impulses and habitual responses dictated by socialization. As a person gains autonomy, they make conscious and volitional choices that reflect their perception of what is 'higher' in their internal and external surroundings. This conscious shaping of personality eventually leads to an individual's 'personality ideal,' which is an integrated hierarchy of values that reflects their sense of self. It is crucial to understand that personal growth goes beyond mere self-acceptance (or self-actualization). It requires a significant amount of conscious effort to distinguish between the higher and lower aspects of oneself and to shift focus away from selfish and egocentric objectives towards an idealized version of oneself.
The construction of one's idealized self involves both emotional and cognitive foundations. Emotions and thoughts merge and influence one's approach to life, where feelings guide and shape goals, ideas, and values, and one's ideals are expressed through emotions. Imagination plays a crucial role in this process as we visualize how things could and should be, creating a standard to strive for. Initially, people who act on their impulses or conform to societal expectations experience little internal conflict. However, as they develop, the conflict between their actual behavior and their imagined ideals creates internal discord. This conflict motivates the individual to resolve the situation by suppressing lower aspects and emphasizing higher ones. At the highest level, a new harmony emerges between thought, emotion, and action, eliminating any internal conflict.
▣ 1.3 Two depictions of the levels of the theory.
According to Dąbrowski's theory, there are two qualitatively different experiences of life—unilevel and multilevel—described in five levels. The heteronomous stage, also known as unilevel, is determined by biological and social factors. The autonomous stage, the multilevel, on the other hand, is determined by higher levels of development. Levels III and above fall under the autonomous stage, while Level I is considered heteronomous. Level II is a brief transitional phase marked by intense unilevel crises that test one's character, leading to either regression or advancement.
(Tillier)
(Mika, 2002)
Also see: link
Dr. Mika has suggested that, in today's era, it would be clearer to describe the levels using the terms “unilevel integration” instead of “primary integration” and “multilevel integration” instead of “secondary integration.” I fully support this suggestion in future neo-Dąbrowskian works.
▣ 1.4 Be Greeted Psychoneurotics.
From the Filmwest movie, Be Greeted Psychoneurotics.
Suffering, aloneness, self-doubt, sadness, inner conflict; these are our feelings that we have not learned to live with, that we have failed to appreciate, that we reject as destructive and completely negative, but in fact they are symptoms of an expanding consciousness. Dr. Kazimierz Dąbrowski has spent 45 years piecing together the complete picture of the growth of the human psyche from primitive integration at birth; the person with potential for development will experience growth as a loosening of the stable psychic structure accompanied by symptoms of psychoneuroses. Reality becomes multileveled, the choices between higher and lower realms of behavior occupy our thought and mark us as human. Dąbrowski called this process positive disintegration, he declares that psychoneurosis is not an illness and he insists that development does not come through psychotherapy but that psychotherapy is automatic when the person is conscious of his development.
To Dąbrowski, therapy is autopsychotherapy; it is the self being aware of the self through a long inner investigation; a mapping of the inner environment. There are no techniques to eliminate symptoms because the symptoms constitute the very psychic richness from which grow an increasing awareness of body, mind, humanity and cosmos. Dąbrowski gives birth to that process if he can.
Without intense and painful introspection and reflection, development is unlikely. Psychoneurotic symptoms should be embraced and transformed into anxieties about human problems of an ever higher order. If psychoneuroses continue to be classified as mental illness, then perhaps it is a sickness better than health.
Without passing through very difficult experiences and even something like psychoneurosis and neurosis we cannot understand human beings and we cannot realize our multidimensional and multilevel development toward higher and higher levels.
▣ 1.5 Dąbrowski captured the essence of psychoneuroses and development in his poem: Be Greeted Psychoneurotics.
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To gain a thorough understanding of the theory, it is recommended to read the original materials found in tab 2: Archive. For a brief overview, refer to the short film located in tab 1.1. The following material delves into the theory in a step-by-step manner.
▣ 3.1 101. Overviews.
▣ 3.2 201. Primary presentation.
▣ 3.3 301. Mastering Dąbrowski's unique terminology.
▣ 3.4 401. Secondary PowerPoint.
▣ 3.5 201/401 Appendixes.
▣ 3.6 201/401 Master References.
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▣ 4.1 A full bibliography of Dąbrowski's work and works related to Dąbrowski's Theory.
▣ 4.2 Synopsis of Dąbrowski's major English books.
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▣ 8.1 Wikipedia Page.
Note: this is an open webpage that anyone can contribute to or edit.
▣ 8.2 The Kazimierz Dąbrowski Medal
▣ 8.3 Eugenia Dąbrowski.
▣ 8.4 Dąbrowski’s Grave.
▣ 8.5 Dąbrowski in Edmonton.
▣ 8.6 In Memoriam.
▣ 8.7 Videos of Dąbrowski.
⧈ One of Dąbrowski's early students, P. J. Reese, made two half-hour movies of Dąbrowski. These have been digitalized and posted to YouTube.
⚀ Two K. Dąbrowski movies by Reese 1975
⧈ In about 1965, Leo Mos was asked to host a graduate seminar asking Dąbrowski questions about the theory. This turned into three videotaped sessions.
▣ 8.8 Polish website.
The Polish website dedicated to Dąbrowski.
▣ 8.9 More Dąbrowski [older material].
▣ 8.10 Dąbrowski Related Web Links.
▣ 8.11 Introduction of Multilevel Actualization.
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▣ 9.1 Issues.
▣ 9.2 Dąbrowski’s Levels.
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▣ A.1 Posttraumatic Growth.
▣ A.2 Positive Psychology.
▣ A.3 Psychopathy.
▣ A.4 Maslow's Ideas.
▣ A.5 Maslow Bibliography.
▣ A.6 Maslow Archive.
▣ A.7 Stanley Milgram: A selected review of the literature.
▣ A.8 Neurodiversity.
▣ A.9 Autism: A selected review of the literature.
▣ A.10 School Shootings: A selected review of the literature.
▣ A.11 Authoritarianism: A selected review of the literature.
▣ A.12 Tillier (2018) references.
▣ B.1 Contact:
⧈ This site was first posted October 26, 1995, and is maintained by Bill Tillier, e-mail: btillier@shaw.ca
▣ B.2 Other:
⧈ Website credits and copyrights:
⚀ The contents of this website and its subpages are protected by copyright, which is owned by the author, William Tillier. Please be aware that the material on this website is safeguarded by Canadian laws, policies, regulations, and international agreements as stipulated in the Copyright Act. If you wish to use any of the resources available on this site, please contact us via email to obtain permission.