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    Transactional Analysis Journal: Old and New Legends

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    Narcis Nagy
    This document summarizes the early, exciting days of developing transactional analysis theory with Eric Berne. It describes the high energy, creativity, and sense of discovery in those formative years. Berne stirred people up and encouraged active involvement in expanding the theory. While the energy has since simmered down, Berne's spirit of enthusiasm and optimism for TA remains alive today.

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    Transactional Analysis Journal: Old and New Legends

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    Narcis Nagy
    33 views3 pages
    This document summarizes the early, exciting days of developing transactional analysis theory with Eric Berne. It describes the high energy, creativity, and sense of discovery in those formative years. Berne stirred people up and encouraged active involvement in expanding the theory. While the energy has since simmered down, Berne's spirit of enthusiasm and optimism for TA remains alive today.

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    TAJ

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    Old and New Legends

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    This document summarizes the early, exciting days of developing transactional analysis theory with Eric Berne. It describes the high energy, creativity, and sense of discovery in those formative years. Berne stirred people up and encouraged active involvement in expanding the theory. While the energy has since simmered down, Berne's spirit of enthusiasm and optimism for TA remains alive today.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    33 views3 pages

    Transactional Analysis Journal: Old and New Legends

    Uploaded by

    Narcis Nagy
    This document summarizes the early, exciting days of developing transactional analysis theory with Eric Berne. It describes the high energy, creativity, and sense of discovery in those formative years. Berne stirred people up and encouraged active involvement in expanding the theory. While the energy has since simmered down, Berne's spirit of enthusiasm and optimism for TA remains alive today.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    Transactional Analysis Journal

    http://tax.sagepub.com/

    Old and New Legends


    Viola Litt Callaghan
    Transactional Analysis Journal 1981 11: 35
    DOI: 10.1177/036215378101100107

    The online version of this article can be found at:


    http://tax.sagepub.com/content/11/1/35

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    On behalf of:

    International Transactional Analysis Association

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    >> Version of Record - Jan 1, 1981

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    Downloaded from tax.sagepub.com by Ana Farcas on May 22, 2014


    Old and New Legends
    Viola Lift Callaghan

    Abstract "gold mine of energy," so to speak, with


    Describes personal impressions of, and lots of creativity and excitement and high
    experiences with, Eric Berne, during the energy levels.
    formative stages of transactional analysis Eric was a catalyst. He could stir people
    practice and theory. Emphasizes the excite- up and turn them on to be creative. He
    ment and energy of building a new theory. was interested in everything including
    Encourages continuation of active involve- basics such as intuition, insights, feelings
    ment of ITAA members in expanded and dreams. His qualities of brilliance and
    development of TA theory and application. greatness brought out similar qualities in
    us, whether it was by "heated discussion"
    or by simply stimulating us with questions
    A legend is a story that grows out of a and suggestions. He had a way of turning
    kernel of a real life experience. It gets em- negatives into positives, and a knack of
    bellished and changed-some basic facts capitalizing on differences of opinion, an
    change and some stay-and you do not ability to put dissension to use by culling
    know which is which after awhile. The out the positive ideas.
    important thing is that a legend has a basis Sometimes his polemics created a lot of
    in fact. The Rodgers Film, Hello Up There very exciting energy, and then it was neither
    Eric, is full of legends about Eric-told positive nor negative, just exciting and in
    lovingly and to me, very touchingly. And that sense, very creative. And that's what
    it also seems to prove that Eric Berne the Seminars were like in the early days,
    actually did exist. Although for some of exciting and creative. Later they simmered
    the newer members it must be hard to down and became more of a teaching and
    get in touch with this fact. Their lives polishing affair. And then the feeling of
    never directly touched the life of the real- something vital, new and "good" was still
    person-Eric. very much alive and present but more as an
    In the "good olden days" he started underlying, even "hum."
    what, in the "good new-en days" has The way we did our "jumpin' and jivin' "
    become the longest ongoing weekly seminar was to go on our famous "field trips" to
    on group psychotherapy in the world. It the Spaghetti Factory or some such place.
    began as the SFSPS, became the SFTAS And sometimes there or at our 101 Gradua-
    and is now the EBSSF.... tion parties, Eric would do his famous or
    There was a good deal of excitement in infamous "Eric's Stomp," a jumping up
    the early days. Building and discovering and down rhythmic stomp to music that he
    and developing the new theory was highly called his Fox Trot. These became some of
    exciting and rewarding. It was like a "gold the ritual events we would look foward to.
    rush" of human creativity. "Gold" here The experience of being part of the
    being synonomous with value and high organization was impressive and challenging,
    quality. And we attracted a lot of golden- hard work and lots of fun-Eric was a
    feeling people, "golden" in terms of tough taskmaster and a prolific writer. And
    interest and energy input. They created a it was well worth being an internal part of
    San Francisco Social Psychiatry Seminars, San Francisco Transactional Analysis Seminar and Eric Berne
    Seminar of San Francisco.

    Vol. 11, No.1, January 1981 35

    Downloaded from tax.sagepub.com by Ana Farcas on May 22, 2014


    VIOLA LITT CALLAGHAN

    "Building and discovering and developing the new theory was


    highly exciting and rewarding."

    these people who were "making a new become "golden"-bright, alert, charming,
    mark." intelligent, expert and even controversial,
    Energy pulsates, attracts and repels. and these features will add up to your be-
    And so it was with Eric Berne and the inner coming part owners in the "gold fields" or
    and outer circles. There were two nuclei "legends in your own right."
    or "Nukeli" as he called it. Eric was the The "golden" very special feeling that
    center, and the Seminar was the circle attended "the good old days" of high
    around him. The energy kept growing and excitement, discovery and adjustment, the
    expanding. When he passed on, leaving us flowering, the birth and growth of the
    bereaved, it was very scary: would we be definitive baby of TA into a child and
    able to refuel the spot where Eric had been? ultimately into adolescence, with a little
    Well, as we know, history has been kind to maturity thrown in, still exists. It will be
    us. His spirit is still very much alive in the the joy and job of the new energy in TA to
    center of the hub. bring elements such as Script Theory into
    "High energy" and "high power" are adulthood.
    still being invested in TA and ITAA with The good things Eric Berne stood for
    positive payoffs, both in the "homeland," and contributed: his spirit, enthusiasm,
    California, and "abroad," U.S.A. and high professional principles, excitement of
    Internationally. And the wonder of it is discovery and development of theory, his
    that this does not mean just Costa Rica welcoming people into the inner circle
    anymore. Back in 1962, our first and lone and his optimism, are still preserved. These
    international member was Dr. Adis-Castro were very much alive in the warm feelings
    Gonzales, who was "pleased to report" at the 1980 Summer Conference. Especially
    in the January 1965 TA Bulletin, that eight in the Connection Room with its warm
    professional staff members at his clinic in strokes, and the Rodgers film keeping talk
    San Jose, Costa Rica were studying TA. about Eric going on around us.
    We have grown so far from those early I am looking forward eagerly to seeing
    exciting days when "International" meant what new legends will spring forth from the
    one member in Costa Rica and later one energies that are now viable and surfacing
    in Saskatchewan, whereas we now have in the ITAA.
    a multitude of member countries and
    hundreds of individual members in those
    countries. Viola Litt Callaghan, MA, MFCT, CTM,
    These new members are producing a new is in private practice in San Francisco and
    influx of energy, eagerly adding their ideas the Bay Area, does advanced training in
    and excitement, pressing for recognition Transactional Analysis, runs intuition
    and membership. And the "gold mine" of and script workshops and marathons, is
    TA still has a lot to offer them. Co-President of the Eric Berne Seminars of
    I believe the secret message still is, that San Francisco, and was the first Secretary-
    if you join you "Automatically" will Treasurer of the ITAA.

    "Eric was the center, and the Seminar was the circle around
    him."

    36 Transactional Analysis Journal

    Downloaded from tax.sagepub.com by Ana Farcas on May 22, 2014

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