Faith ‘Fey’ Harkey | The New Dissociationism

Latest.

October 7, 2026 • Changelog

Now forming:
Subpersonality Studies Working Group

From Socrates’ daimon to the alters of dissociative identity disorder, the subpersonality has been with us for a long time. Multiple therapeutic systems make use of the subpersonality, calling it the imago, the ego state, the complex, the subself. Beyond clinical work, there are many figures which demonstrate a kinship to the subpersonality: the muse, the ally, the module.

What if everyone with an interest in the subpersonality pooled their knowledge? Psychoanalysts. Anthropologists. Philosophers. Artists. Neuroscientists. Computer Scientists. Voice Dialogue practitioners. Ego State theorists. Internal Family Systems advocates. What might come of a conversation rooted in the powers and potentialities of the subpersonality, rather than its pathologies? What if we networked? What if we collaborated?

The Subpersonality Studies Working Group invites scholars, researchers, clinicians, theorists, and advocates from all disciplines — anyone who engages with some form of the subpersonality. Our meetings will take place monthly online.

For more info, to RSVP, or to be added to the group listserv, email me at the University of Essex.

Articles.

Open Access logo - an orange lock with the letters OA Open Access

Complex psychology

Towards a new dissociationism
It is time to flip the predominant narrative around dissociation — to acknowledge illness states, but to establish that dissociation is foundational and essential to psyche.
Superpowered: Celebrating the complex-driven psyche
Too often cast as villains, our ‘complexes’ are, in truth, a foundational part of the psyche. When we discover just how much they have to offer, our parts can become the superheroes of our unconscious world.
How does it feel when a complex is active?
Psychological concepts are often best understood through the lens of our experience. We can get to know our complexes, or subpersonalities, by considering what it feels like when they are present and active.
Daughter of God:
The personal complex in the life of Joan of Arc
Perhaps one of history’s most beautiful and tragic figures, Joan of Arc’s story offers a study of the personal complex in psyche, in religion, and in our wider human narrative.
Multiple personality:
The complex psychology of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Previously known as multiple personality disorder, DID opens the door to a complex-based understanding of the plural psyche and the shared origins of alters and complexes.
It’s a complex story:
Complex in fairy tale and myth
Myths and fairy tales reflect the processes of psyche, the nature of complexes, and the archetypes that underlie them.
Three archetypal images for complex psychology: Saturn, Mercury and Matangi
Many archetypes give us insight into the nature of complexes. Here we explore the archetypal images of Saturn, Mercury, and Matangi, each with a connection to complex psychology.
Steadfast companions:
Internal Family Systems and complex psychology
Explore the Jungian complex as it relates and compares to the ‘part’ as depicted Internal Family Systems theory. Questions include: Can complexes change? Do we have an ethical responsibility to our parts?

Imaginal practice

Imaginal research:
Exploring the unconscious psyche
Imaginal research explores the subtle territories of the unconscious psyche, enters into the terrain of imagination, and establishes the imaginal as a legitimate means of discovering knowledge.
The imaginal: Why it matters
Imaginal research starts with a simple premise: what happens in the unconscious mind is at least as important as what occurs in our conventional consciousness. It is, after all, the source of our imagination, the arena of our dreams, the origin of our art and literature, of our most rightening impulses and our loveliest aspirations.
What is imaginal ethics?
Imaginal ethics concern the ways we treat our inner ‘others.’ But who are these figures and why do we need to approach them ethically?
Perfected friendship:
Rethinking our approach to inner relationships
From the perspective of complex psychology, Aristotle’s teleia philia can be applied to our inner relationships.
Machiavelli:
Academy of active imagination
A close reading of Niccolò Machiavelli reveals insight into his imaginal practice and his unconscious psyche.
Tools and resources for imaginal work
Whether you are a clinician, a creative, or a general-interest reader, here you’ll find resources to go deeper into your own imaginal work.

New Jungian perspectives

The torch-bearers:
Jungian applications in gifted studies
An exploration of the connections between Jungian thought and the field of gifted studies, this article also addresses the structure of the gifted psyche.
A river of paper and ink: Conducting an autodidactic practice review
For researchers and artists who discover they lack some critical skill, how might they acquire this knowledge and the insights that relate to it? The autodidactic practice review offers a method developing both prowess and understanding.
Jungian Gothic:
The dark romantic in Jung’s early life and psychology
An otherworldly mother with two personalities. A cousin with a gift for spiritualist mediumship. Family secrets, peculiar relations, and eerie doublings. In an almost uncanny way, the events and figures of C. G. Jung’s early life echo the themes of Gothic literature.

Monographs.