The Triangle and the Eye inside the Circle: Dyadic and Triadic Dynamics in the Group

Abstract

Patients make first contact with group analysts in a dyadic relationship and the entry into the group of six to eight can be perceived as a psychic leap across a wide chasm. In this article the transition from dyad to the group is conceptualized as equivalent to achieving a triadic capacity for relatedness. A central consideration will be of the maturation from predominantly ‘linear’ relating and thinking (n=2) to stable triangular configurations involving ‘threeness’ and ‘thirdness’, with the development of a triangular space, which represents reflective thinking and the capacity to observe and be observed. The triangular potential is opposed by destructive processes, which cause instability and collapse of triangular configurations, with a regression towards ‘two-dimensional’ group structures. The role of the triangle and the key importance of the ‘third eye’ will be conceptualized in terms of a stable parental coupling which provides a corrective component of the experience for group members. The symbol of a triangle inside a circle is used to represent the combining of male and female elements in the group, to form a combined holding, containing but also development promoting ‘parental relationship’ function.