The self as a transitional object: its relationship to narcissism and homosexuality

Abstract

Men with significant narcissistic and homosexual trends can show a tendency to experience a part of the self as a transitional object. Specifically, these men regard themselves as dolls. Excerpts from three psychoanalytic cases are offered to demonstrate this clinical finding. It is believed that this occurrence represents a significant arrest in the development of the self. The recognition, interpretation, and reduction of this transitional phenomenon constitutes a significant therapeutic experience in the analyses of these men.