Eric Berne

procedures and rituals

These all have their analogues in conversation, so that it seems one might predict how an individual would handle a baby by listening to him talk.

One horn is the social, psychological and biological forces which stand in the way of continued physical intimacy in the infant style; the other is his perpetual striving for its attainment.

In order of complexity, these are: (1) Rituals; (2) Pastimes; (3) Games; (4) Intimacy; and (5) Activity, which may form a matrix for any of the others.

Translated into terms of social psychiatry, they may be stated as (1) the primary internal advantages; (2) the primary external advantages; (3) the secondary advantages; and (4) the existential advantages.

ego state may be described phenome-nologically as a coherent system of feelings, and operationally as a set of coherent behaviour patterns.