Presidential Address: Use of Projective Tests in Promoting Mental Health
Distinguished Chief Guest, Dr. Manoj Kumar, Director, DRDO Agra, Prof. Dinesh Singh Rathor, Director Institute of Mental Health & Hospital, Agra, Prof. Anil Sisodiya, Dr. Antonio Cervigni, Prof. Naveen Gupta, Director, HIMCS, and Satyadhar Dwivedi Organizing Secretary of the 11th International conference, Foreign and Indian delegates, professional friends and students, Members of the Organizing Committee, Office bearers of Somatic Inkblot Society, ladies and gentlemen!
On behalf of the members of the Organizing Committee of 11th SIS International Conference at the Institute of Mental Health & Hospital, Agra and Somatic Inkblot Society, I welcome you to this conference. The theme of the conference is “Use of Projective Tests in Promoting Mental Health”.
Today, we gather to celebrate 35 remarkable years of the Somatic Inkblot Society's dedication to advancing mental health. In 1990, our society was born with a singular focus: harnessing projective psychology, personality assessment, psychotherapy, and mental health research. Our flagship instrument, the SIT, has evolved into a powerful personality assessment, diagnostic tool, and therapeutic procedure. Our relentless efforts have yielded 30 years of invaluable data on the Indian Population - clinical, organizational, and normal groups.
The brand-new Somatic Inkblot Test called SIT 30 was made available in 2018 after six years of development and trials led by Anand Dubey (Dubey, Banerjee & Dubey, 2019). The online test was developed specifically to help people in remote areas. The client can take this test from the comfort of their home.
The Test is based on spontaneous, individually generated responses to inkblot images/ figures, which elicit intrapsychic associations specific to the person taking the test. The images evoke symbolism and meanings unique to the responding individual. The test responses can be differentiated from peer norms and clinical indices and can be analyzed according to internationally recognized psycho-diagnostic criteria. The procedure is an adjunct to psychotherapy because the responses can be further explored to create a more effective treatment plan, and can be re-addressed in later discussions, providing opportunities to elicit deeply defended unconscious material (Cassell, 1980, Cassell & Dubey, 1998, 2003, Dubey & Cassell, 1993, Dubey, Banerjee & Dubey, 2019, Dubey et al, 2005).
The SIT has only 11 scoring indices common to Rorschach Inkblot Test and Holtzman Inkblot Test (such as: Total number of Responses, Human, Animal, Anatomical and Sex Responses, Other Responses, Most Typical and Typical Responses, Movement Responses, Rejection of images and Pathological Responses-Pathological Anatomy Scale, Hostility Aggression Scale, Depression Scale and Paranoia Scale (Dubey & Dubey, 2012, 2018,).
We've conducted countless workshops, and seminars in several countries, and published our esteemed publication the “SIS Journal of Projective Psychology and Mental Health” since 1994. I congratulate Prof. Naveen Gupta and the editorial team for the timely publication of the Journal for the last 10 years. I am happy to inform you that the SIS Journal has been listed in the academic research database ProQuest Psychology Journals™. ProQuest is a company in Michigan, United States. It is a leading provider of electronic databases for academic libraries. Databases are used in over 20,000 academic libraries around the world including some of the most prestigious higher education institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford etc. ProQuest provides abstracts and indexing for more than 640 titles, with over 540 titles available in full text. Users get access to charts, diagrams, graphs, tables, photos, and other graphical elements essential to psychological research.
The Future - AI-Enabled Testing
Artificial intelligence heralds the next leap! We're integrating AI for: Content analysis, Automated Scoring and categorization, and informing therapy models with 35 years of Indian data. AI helps psychologists and students in the scoring of the RESPONSES by providing HINTS and FACTS. Unlike various systems of Rorschach, you don’t need to consult a Manual while Scoring and Interpreting the responses. Even “Rejections of Images” are analyzed, and various plausible explanations and interpretations are provided. The SIT-30 is a leader in online AI-enabled projective testing.
As I stand before you, I'm reminded of our founding members' tireless efforts. We worked together from 1988 onwards and published several research papers. I am grateful to Anand Dubey for his efforts to develop the SIT – online version with an application of Artificial Intelligence.
Tribute to Dr. Cassell
We honor Dr. Wilfred A. Cassell's legacy, whose baton I humbly carry forward. Dr. Cassell suffered from Dementia in 2015 and handed over the test to me. Dr. Cassell left us on 19 September 2023, but his spirit is always guiding us for future work. We are completing the unfinished business and developing the SIT procedure. Join us in shaping mental health's future! Together, let's embark on this exciting journey, merging AI and expertise to revolutionize mental health care.
Future Direction:
In the years to come, psychologists throughout the world must follow the model of Artificial Intelligence in assimilating and comparing international data to understand the complexities of unconscious behavior. Certain indices may work as international norms, whereas other indices serve as the norms of a particular population/ group. The responses given by the client should be interpreted to explore its content and symbolic significance. For example, while interpreting “Animal” responses on an inkblot test, the average or the mean and its ratios will not yield relevant findings rather it will lead to wrong conclusions. Alligators, Baby Crocodile, Gorilla, Horse, Calf, Cat, Chicken, Dog, and Lion, all are categorized as “Animals” but they have different natures. They indicate different interpretations. The Alligator/ Lizard may indicate negative attitudes (Philips & Smith), Baby Crocodiles may indicate rejection of adult role (Schafer), Bull /Buffalo / Gorilla/ Horse may indicate ambivalence toward domineering father ((Philips & Smith), Calf may indicate domination by father (Philips & Smith), Cat may indicate immaturity (Klopfer-Davidson), Chicken may indicate deprivation of affection and feeling of rejection, immaturity (Philips & Smith), Dog may indicate passive dependency (Klopfer-Davidson), Lion may indicate demanding, dependent, passive-aggressive. Similarly, other animal responses have different symbolic interpretations which must be kept in mind while doing quantitative interpretation. Pointed out Fingers, Masks, and Eyes are strong indicators of Paranoia and early Schizophrenia.
It is equally important to understand why a person is unable to perceive a particular image. Each image is found to depict a theme/ area such as smooth relationship or conflict with father, mother, siblings, peers, opposite sex; deprivation of affection during early childhood, broken love affairs, broken family etc., hence rejection of such images has a lot of clinical significance. The rejection may help in understanding the client’s reactions to different situations presented through the inkblot imagery. The avoidance of such images may further be probed to understand the painful material underlying in the storage of the unconscious mind. Because of such relevance, the rejection of images has been given much importance while interpreting the SIT protocol of a client.
When a person is unable to perceive an image even after providing the common responses given by most people, it can be taken as rejection. It has been noticed that people reject images, which depict certain precepts related to their traumatized experience or underlying painful memory. For example, a person having poor interpersonal relationships may reject images 6, 9, 18, 19, 20, 28, and 30 because these images project human content. Poor interpersonal relationships with spouses may also lead to rejection of images 5, 6, 9, 15, 17, 18. Images like 15 and 23 project more erotic content. Since the erotic area is disturbed because of poor relationships, people (he/she) may not feel like responding to anything in this image. Similarly, it has been noticed in clinical samples of cardiac cases that persons suffering from heart problems reject images depicting a heart - for example images 3, 11, and 22. A few patients who have recovered and have accepted their clinical problems bravely do perceive 'a heart' in these images. It suggests that they have no fear regarding their heart as they have been properly counselled. Persons suffering from body ailments, for example, Kidney problems generally reject image 12, which depicts Kidneys. It has also been noticed that females traumatized sexually find it difficult to perceive images 15, 17 and 23, which generally project erotic response. Since these people have undergone traumatizing experiences and have unpleasant memories of the precept, they may find it difficult to perceive anything in these images. Even if they perceive something, often they give poor-quality responses and attach a special meaning to it. It should be kept in mind that the material which follows needs to be assimilated by the experienced clinician with the overall medical and psychiatric history data. Even certain contents from dreams and visual hallucinations also help in arriving at diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic planning.
The help of “Artificial Intelligence” in the assimilation and interpretation of data has worked in a big way. The mental health professionals using SIT will have the advantage of AI and Symbolic Interpretation while scoring and interpreting the responses given by the client. Inkblot-evoked images can highlight otherwise hidden aspects of the inner emotional world of the clients. These may reveal to the professional past traumatic events and unexpressed distressing emotions, which might otherwise only surface in disguised symbolic dreams.
The mental health professionals using the SIT procedure will be able to hear the inner cry of the suffering individuals and travel in the unconscious space of the client to find other underlying painful materials that need processing.
India has long been revered for its rich contributions to Yoga, Meditation and Healing. The responses projected on SIT images can help the client address the traumatic experiences and sufferings during Hypnotic relaxation, Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Psychotherapy. Image-focusing exercise techniques can eventually lead to positive body–mind–spirit healing effects. As one of the pioneers of this procedure, I visualize that the SIT will be used by a large number of professionals internationally in the future.
References:
Cassell, W. A. (1980) Body Symbolism and the Somatic Inkblot Series. Anchorage, Alaska. Aurora Publishing.
Cassell, W. A. & Dubey, B.L. (1998). Application of Somatic Inkblot Series in Personality Assessment, Screening, Diagnosis and Therapy,
SIS Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health, 5:3-32.
Cassell, W, A. & Dubey, B. L. (2003). Interpreting Inner World through Somatic Imagery: Manual of Somatic Inkblot Series. SIS Center, Anchorage, (USA)
Dubey B. L., Banerjee P. & Dubey Anand (2019). Inkblot Personality Test: Understanding the Unconscious Mind, SAGE Publication. Delhi Dubey, B.L & Dubey, Anand. (2012) Application of SIS in Business Organization, SIS Jr. Projive Psychology & Mental. Health, 19: 43-47. Dubey B.L. & Dubey Anand (2018). Manual of Somatic Imagery test. Dubay Healing Center, 7490 Coon Club Road Medina, OH 44256 Dubey, B.L. & Cassell, W.A. (1993) Some Experiences with Somatic Inkblot Series. British Journal of Projective Psychology, 38: 1: 19-41.
Dubey, B.L., Cassell, W. A., Manickam, L.S.S. & Singh., A. R. (2005). Efficacy of Somatic Inkblot Test in Personality Assessment, Diagnostic Evaluation and Therapeutic Intervention. Indian J. of Clinical Psychology, 31, 10 -23.
Klopfer, B.: & Davidson H.H. (1962) Rorschach Technique: An Introductory Manual. New York. Harcourt. Phillips Leslie & Smith J.G. (1953) Rorschach Interpretation: Advanced technique, New York, Grune.
Schaefer, R. (1948) Clinical Application of Psychological Tests. New York. Int Univ.
Schaefer, R. (1954). Psychoanalytic Interpretation in Rorschach Testing. Grune & Stratton, Inc., New York.
Bankey L. Dubey, PhD
President Somatic Inkblot Society, and Global Director Dubay Healing Center, 7490 Coon Club Road, Medina, OH 44256 (USA) Email: bldubey@gmail.com