What happens to representatives during family constellations? Attempts at explanation and comparison with other difficult-to-explain phenomena

Abstract

Despite the considerable controversy surrounding family constellations, this psychotherapeutic method has experienced significant growth over the past thirty years. Traditionally, family constellations are conducted in a group format in sessions called “constellations”, wherein certain individuals act as representatives for the family members of other participants. During these sessions, a phenomenon known in some literature as “surrogate perceptions” normally occurs, in which the representatives experience internal states that align with significant attitudes or life situations of the individuals they represent. Although there is substantial anecdotal evidence for this phenomenon, it has not been empirically studied, lacks a logical explanation, and appears to contravene the principle of locality in physics. This paper draws comparisons between surrogate perceptions and other exceptional phenomena documented in scientific literature, such as extended states of consciousness, telepathy, and synchronicity. It also critically reviews various attempts to explain the phenomenon, including theories involving mirror neurons, quantum physics, embodied memory, the collective unconscious, and formative causation. The paper provides a description of surrogate perceptions as changes triggered in an interpersonal process in which the explicit request to put oneself in the place of another specific person plays an essential role. Finally, potential avenues for future research are outlined.