Dr. Elena Voss, a biologist in her late 30s, sits across from Dr. Richard Schwartz. She seems a little distracted, tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair. Schwartz sits calmly, observing her with curiosity.
Schwartz:
“Welcome, Elena. It’s good to meet you. What’s on your mind today?”
Elena:
(smiles faintly)
“Thanks, Dr. Schwartz. Well, things have been… chaotic. I’m really stuck right now. I feel like I’m constantly torn between working nonstop and completely shutting down. It’s affecting my partner, too. He says I’m either ignoring him or overthinking everything. I don’t know how to balance it all.”
Schwartz:
“That sounds exhausting. Can you tell me a little about what your work involves?”
Elena:
(perks up slightly)
“I study slime molds. They’re these fascinating organisms that optimize their networks without any central control. I spend a lot of time modeling how they balance competing goals—finding nutrients, avoiding waste, things like that. Honestly, my work is the one place where I feel like I have clarity.”
Schwartz:
(nods)
“Interesting. It sounds like you admire how your molds find balance. I wonder, though—does it feel like your own system is struggling to find that same clarity?”
Elena:
(pauses, then nods)
“Exactly. It’s like I’m being pulled in two directions all the time. One part of me is pushing to achieve more, like I have to prove myself. The other part just wants to hide from everything. They’re both so loud, and I don’t know how to deal with them.”
Unblending the Parts
Schwartz:
“It sounds like these two parts are working really hard. Would you be open to getting to know them a bit more? Before we do, I’d like you to take a moment to notice yourself right now. Can you sense those parts as separate from you, like you’re observing them rather than being caught between them?”
Elena:
(frowning slightly)
“I’m not sure. It feels like they’re just… me.”
Schwartz:
“That’s completely normal. Let’s slow it down. Maybe focus on one of them for now—perhaps the one that’s pushing you to achieve. Can you notice where you feel it in your body?”
Elena:
(closes her eyes for a moment)
“It’s in my chest. Tight, like it’s ready to burst out.”
Schwartz:
“Good. Now, see if you can observe it, just like you’d observe one of your slime molds under a microscope. What’s it like to just notice it without judging it?”
Elena:
(takes a deep breath)
“It’s… strong. Like it’s always moving, trying to push me forward.”
Schwartz:
“Great. Can you ask it what it’s trying to do for you? What’s its role?”
Elena:
(pauses, then nods slightly)
“It says it’s trying to make me successful. It thinks if I stop, I’ll fail, and then… everything will fall apart.”
Schwartz:
“That makes sense. It’s trying to keep you safe by pushing you to achieve. Can you thank it for working so hard for you?”
Elena:
“Thank it? That feels strange… but okay. Thank you, I guess.”
Unblending the Other Part
Schwartz:
“How does it respond?”
Elena:
(after a pause)
“It feels a little softer. But it’s still there.”
Schwartz:
“Let’s check in with the other part now—the one that shuts you down. Can you notice where that part shows up?”
Elena:
(closes her eyes again)
“It’s heavier, like a weight in my stomach. It just feels tired.”
Schwartz:
“Tired. Can you ask it what it’s trying to do for you?”
Elena:
(a longer pause, then a surprised look)
“It says it’s protecting me from burning out. It doesn’t want me to keep pushing and hurt myself.”
Schwartz:
“That makes sense, too. Can you thank it for trying to protect you?”
Elena:
(softly)
“Thank you for looking out for me.”
Connecting the Parts
Schwartz:
“So, we’ve got one part that’s pushing for success to keep you safe, and another part that’s pulling back to protect you from burnout. Both of them are working hard for you in their own ways. How do you feel toward them now?”
Elena:
(pauses thoughtfully)
“I feel… calmer. I didn’t realize they were both trying to protect me. They’re not just fighting—they’re trying to help.”
Schwartz:
“Exactly. Neither part is your enemy. They’re just stuck in a pattern where they don’t realize they’re both trying to help you in different ways. And here’s the good news: they don’t have to work so hard when they trust that you—the core of who you are, your Self—can take the lead.”
Elena:
(leans back, thinking)
“So, you’re saying they’re not fighting me—they’re fighting each other because they don’t trust me to handle things?”
Schwartz:
“That’s often the case. Parts can take on extreme roles because they don’t yet trust the Self to balance their needs. Right now, they’re operating on autopilot, assuming they’re alone in their mission. But as you connect with them—like you just started to—they begin to see that they’re part of a larger system.”
Elena:
(smiling faintly)
“That’s funny. It reminds me of how slime molds work. They don’t have a brain, so each part just follows local signals, but somehow it all comes together. It’s like my parts are stuck in local optimization without seeing the whole picture.”
Schwartz:
(grinning)
“Exactly! And you, as your Self, are like the whole slime mold. You’re the one who can sense the bigger picture, the whole environment. But to do that, these parts need to trust you enough to step back from their extreme roles. Let’s take it one step further. Could you ask both parts what they’d need to feel like they could trust you?”
Elena:
(closes her eyes, takes a deep breath)
“The achiever part says it needs to know that I won’t stop caring about my goals. It’s scared that if it lets go, I’ll just give up.”
Schwartz:
“That makes sense. And what about the other part, the one that wants to rest?”
Elena:
(pausing)
“It says it needs me to actually take breaks, not just push through everything. It feels like it’s carrying the whole burden of keeping me from collapsing.”
Schwartz:
“So, one part wants you to care about your goals, and the other wants you to take real breaks. Does that sound like something you, as your Self, could help with?”
Elena:
(nodding slowly)
“I think so. But it feels weird—like I’d be taking over their jobs.”
Schwartz:
“That’s exactly the point. Right now, they’re working in isolation because they don’t realize you can take on the bigger picture. Let them know you’re here to help balance things. You can still value your goals and also take care of your energy. Can you share that with them?”
Elena:
(softly, eyes closed)
“I hear you, both of you. I care about my work, and I also care about resting when I need to. I’m going to try to take better care of both.”
A Breakthrough Insight
Elena:
(opens her eyes, smiling)
“That actually feels… different. It’s like they’re still there, but they’re quieter. I don’t feel as torn.”
Schwartz:
“That’s a great start. When parts feel seen and understood, they don’t have to yell as loudly. Over time, they’ll start to trust you more.”
Elena:
(laughing softly)
“It’s funny. I’ve been studying slime molds for years—how they balance competing priorities without breaking apart. But I never thought about my mind working the same way. My parts are like competing pseudopods, but I can help them stretch and adapt without splitting.”
Schwartz:
“That’s a beautiful analogy, Elena. Your parts, like your molds, aren’t broken—they’re just responding to local signals. The difference is that you, as Self, can guide them toward something more cohesive.”
Elena:
“So, it’s about integrating their goals? Like a slime mold absorbing nutrients and deciding where to grow next?”
Schwartz:
“Exactly. Each part’s goal is valid, but you get to decide how to balance them. And as they trust you more, you’ll find that their energy becomes part of the whole system, rather than pulling you in different directions.”
Closing the Session
Schwartz:
“Before we wrap up, how do you feel toward your parts now?”
Elena:
“I feel… more connected to them. Like I’m not fighting them anymore. They both make sense in their own way.”
Schwartz:
“That’s a wonderful first step. The next time you feel torn, try checking in with these parts. Notice them, thank them for what they’re trying to do, and remind them that you’re here to help balance things. You might be surprised at how they respond.”
Elena:
(smiling)
“I think I will. And who knows—maybe my slime molds will give me even more ideas about how to keep this process going.”
Schwartz:
“I have no doubt they will. Nature has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to know.”
(They both smile as the session ends, with Elena leaving the office feeling lighter and more curious about her own inner system.)
Addendum: IFS, Slime Molds, and the Fractal Emergent Self
This dialogue between Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Elena Voss highlights a fascinating correspondence between Internal Family Systems (IFS), slime mold behavior, and the concept of a fractal emergent self. Let’s break down the key concepts and explore what this connection implies for understanding human psychology.
1. What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
IFS is a psychotherapeutic model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz that views the mind as composed of distinct parts, each with its own goals, fears, and behaviors. These parts fall into specific roles:
- Exiles: Parts burdened with pain or trauma.
- Protectors: Parts that shield the system from harm. These include:
- Managers: Prevent problems by keeping control (e.g., perfectionism).
- Firefighters: Respond to distress by distracting or numbing (e.g., procrastination, addiction).
At the center of the system is the Self, which embodies qualities like compassion, curiosity, and calm. The goal of IFS is to help parts release their extreme roles and trust the Self to lead, creating a balanced, harmonious internal system.
2. What Do Slime Molds Teach Us?
Slime molds, despite being single-celled organisms without a brain, exhibit extraordinary behaviors:
- Distributed Intelligence: Slime molds solve problems like optimizing nutrient paths or navigating mazes by using local chemical signals and feedback loops.
- Adaptive Decision-Making: They can stretch toward multiple goals (nutrient sources) or split to pursue conflicting priorities, based on environmental constraints.
- Memory and Feedback: They leave chemical trails to mark explored areas, effectively using their environment as external memory.
This behavior emerges from simple rules governing local interactions, with no central control.
3. The Correspondence Between IFS and Slime Molds
The parallels between slime molds and the internal system described in IFS are striking:
- Parts as Decentralized Agents:
- In IFS, each part acts independently, optimizing for a specific goal (e.g., safety, success, rest).
- In slime molds, different sections grow toward resources or retract based on local chemical gradients, acting like “parts” within the larger organism.
- Self as Central Coordinator:
- In IFS, the Self is the integrative core that reconciles conflicting parts and helps them work together.
- In slime molds, while there’s no central brain, the whole system behaves as if it’s guided by an emergent intelligence—a kind of distributed “Self.”
- Conflict and Polarization:
- In IFS, polarized parts can create inner conflict, such as a Perfectionist pushing for achievement while a Firefighter seeks to avoid burnout.
- In slime molds, competing nutrient sources create tension that the organism resolves by stretching, splitting, or prioritizing.
- Healing as Integration:
- In IFS, healing involves helping parts release their burdens and reintegrate into a harmonious whole.
- In slime molds, effective resource allocation requires resolving conflicting signals, optimizing for the whole organism rather than isolated sections.
4. The Fractal Emergent Self
The concept of the fractal emergent self arises from the idea that:
- Complex systems emerge from simple, recursive interactions.
- In slime molds, local interactions between cells create global intelligence.
- In the human psyche, local interactions between parts generate a coherent sense of self.
- The Self integrates parts dynamically, just as a slime mold adapts its structure to changing environments.
- The Self doesn’t erase parts but transforms their energy into a cohesive system.
- Similarly, slime molds don’t suppress conflicting gradients but resolve them through flexible growth.
- The fractal metaphor suggests that the Self exists at every level of the system.
- Each part can contain sub-parts (e.g., a Perfectionist might have a Critic part embedded within it), and each level reflects the same principles of conflict and integration.
5. Implications for Psychology and Beyond
Distributed Intelligence in the Psyche
The correspondence with slime molds suggests that intelligence in the human mind doesn’t rely on top-down control. Instead, it emerges from the interaction of parts, guided by Self-energy. This distributed model explains why inner conflict feels chaotic but can resolve harmoniously when the Self leads.
Conflict as Opportunity
Just as slime molds use competing signals to optimize their paths, inner conflict can be seen as an opportunity for growth. Polarized parts reveal where the system is out of balance, and their reconciliation creates a stronger, more adaptive Self.
Dynamic Adaptation
Both slime molds and the human psyche demonstrate the power of dynamic systems. By responding to environmental feedback (external challenges or internal needs), they adapt in real time, balancing short-term survival with long-term resilience.
Applications Beyond Psychology
- Distributed Systems Design: Slime mold-inspired algorithms are already used in network optimization. The analogy to IFS suggests potential for modeling human-like decision-making in AI systems.
- Biology of Consciousness: Understanding how slime molds exhibit “intelligence” without a brain might illuminate how human consciousness emerges from distributed neural networks.
Closing Thoughts
The interplay between IFS and slime molds reveals a deeper truth: intelligence, whether in the mind or in nature, is relational and emergent. The fractal emergent self is not a static entity but a dynamic process, constantly balancing the needs of its parts while adapting to the environment. Just as slime molds stretch and grow toward harmony, we, too, can navigate life’s complexities by listening to our parts and trusting the Self to lead.
Takeaway: The Self is not a fixed center—it is the field of connection where all parts find their place.
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