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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 6 No. 3 September-December 2008 Ú˜Ò

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therapeutic. Isomorphism helps lay a foundation that ative process, the observing ego endures in sublima-
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explains why Langerûs ideas on the language of art tion. In creative endeavors one quickly learns to
serve as a direct and metaphorical form of communi- directly experience emotion while also observing and
cation. Emotion that is mostly inaccessible and un- organizing emotional material into works of art.

formed can now be accessed and known through the Initial responses to these emerging, usually un-
expressive use of materials such as paint, clay, or conscious, impulses that arise in the process of re-
digital media. gression are often manifested as visual displacements.
Visual symbols need the facilitation of these art In art, displaced impulses are characterized as un-
materials in order to reveal and transport latent un- formed visual chaos. Art based solely on the dis-
conscious material into manifest forms. As in dreams, placement of raw affect falls short of sublimation, since
even though these symbols can now be seen, they intense emotions are visually discharged only, rather

often still exist in a disguised form. The inner narra- than symbolically contained, in esthetic form. Also,
tive is now visible as a painting or sculpture, but not visual displacement does not change a personûs inner
yet fully understood in terms of its meaning. Existing state, as in sublimation, which mollifies these cha-
in the realm of a veiled metaphor, inspired from the otic discharges and encloses them in symbolic, es-
truthful depths of the psyche, the enlivened image is thetically accurate, visual configurations. Although
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trusted to lead the way toward a healing narrative. sublimation incorporates displacement, it utilizes and
Lastly, related to Kramerûs ideas on sublima- symbolically forms emergent urges rather than only
tion, art is also extremely helpful in identifying inher- immediately discharging them. Eventfully there is re-
ent strengths in the midst of psychological pathol- contextualization of emotions and memories that are
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ogy. As Kramer has observed, many clients will reach intentionally contained in formed visual equivalents.
their highest level of functioning in the art as therapy
Edith Kramer, Art as Therapy, and Sublimation
process. As shall be seen in the next section, owing
to a deeper understanding of art and sublimation, art Seeing the human condition through a psycho-
is a therapeutic act in and of itself. For Kramer, art analytic lens, Edith Kramer felt that we are driven by
facilitates the transformation of inner impulses by con- asocial primitive instinctual drives that hold an evo-
taining and organizing them into symbolic equiva- lutionary relevance. With the onset of conceptual

lents directly related to the original impulsive desires thought, instincts could no longer be safely relied upon.
and urges. During this process, it is often the case This evolutionary shift promoted an accumulation of
that individuals must loosen defenses and even re- unregulated impulses. When stimulated by strong
gress, blurring the boundaries between their con- emotions these forces surface, demanding gratifica-
scious/unconscious and internal/external realities. At tion. The ego employs multiple defense mechanisms,
some point all art processes serve to relax defenses, such as displacement, to manage resultant anxiety;
as emotional material is made available for subject sublimation and its corresponding organizing mecha-
matter. nisms exclusively allow partial instinctual gratifica-
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Ernst Kris describes this precarious process as tion through the creative process. The process of sub-
çregression in the service of the ego.é This unique limation is multifaceted; it includes mechanisms of
form of relaxed control enables individuals to simulta- regression, displacement, and a re-channeling of drive
neously repress, monitor, and relax control in order to energies.
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maintain access to charged emotional material. Sublimation unfolds as a journey with various
Although individuals can lose themselves in the cre- components, including visual displacement and the