E-Book of Articles - World Federation of Music Therapy

Bonde, Lars Ole: Analogy And Metapher In Music Therapy Theory ...
Levels of understanding. Psychotherapeutic levels of metaphors
The three narrative levels of the metaphor can be related to other
hierarchic models in psychotherapy. Perilli (1999, in press) discusses GIM as
a “metaphorical and transformative therapy”. She compares four levels of
imagery (Summer 1988) with the four wellknown levels of psychotherapy:
Summer distinguishes between these four levels of imagery (experiences):
1. Abstract/aesthetic- with visual and kinaesthetic imagery
2. Psychodynamic- with memories and imagery on literal relationships
3. Perinatal - with somatic and/or existential experiences
4. Transpersonal - often peak experiences and universal symbolic imagery
Perilli associates these levels with the four welknown levels of
psychotherapy :
1. Supportive
2. Insight/Re-educative
3. Reconstructive
4. Transpersonal.
Perilli adds: “An intervention at supportive level may present metaphors
with transpersonal content; psychodynamic experience of repressed
material etc. may happen at supportive, re-educative or reconstructive
level. To work more or less deeply, using elicited metaphors, will depend
from the purpose of the therapeutic intervention.”
We have tried to identify “levels of experience” in the music travel of GIM
(Bonde & Pedersen 1996), relating the developmental flow and dynamics of
the music to the imagery potential. This might be empirically related to
Klein et al.’s “experiencing scale” (1970, 1986, here from Hougaard 1996 p.
237f). Level 3-7 of Klein’s 7 levels seem relevant for GIM. -
The identification of the experiential quality and potential of the
image/metaphor in GIM is complex. A symbolic image may be condensed in
a time perspective, but still have deep transpersonal perspectives for the
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