Each narcissist is either predominantly cerebral or somatic, but there is no type-constancy: the dominant type gives way to the recessive type in times of scarce, deficient, or absent supply (for instance: following a major life crisis).
The somatic narcissist flaunts his sexual conquests, parades his possessions, exhibits his muscles, brags about his physical aesthetics, youthfulness, sexual prowess or exploits, and is often a health freak and a hypochondriac. Like most males, somatic narcissists are plagued with a sexual overperception bias, but in a more pronounced way than normal: they tend to interpret every female behavior, utterance, and gesture as an unambiguous invitation to have sex.
The somatic narcissist regards his body as an object to be sculpted and honed (via extreme diets, multiple cosmetic surgeries, bodybuilding, or weightlifting). When coupled with psychopathic tendencies, the somatic appropriates other people’s bodies and treats these as “raw materials” to be dismembered, tampered with, altered, invaded, or otherwise abused.
Somatic narcissists are often portrayed as sex addicts or histrionic. They are thought to possess “manic defenses” (avoidance of feelings of discomfort, loneliness, and inadequacy by seeking states of hyperactivity, arousal, and excitement). They are also prone to cognitive biases such as sexual overperception (misinterpreting even innocuous female behaviors as indications of sexual interest and flirtation, a mild form of erotomania).
But really somatic narcissists derive their narcissistic supply not so much from the sex act as from the process of securing it: the conspiracies and assignations, the chase and conquest, the subjugation and habituation of their targets, and even from dumping and discarding their prey, once having extracted the attention and admiration they had sought. These extracurricular activities endow them with a sense of omnipotence and all-pervasive control. Their sway over their paramours and would-be lovers proves to them (and to others) their uniqueness, desirability and irresistibility.
Somatic narcissists also seek almost compulsively to induce their partners to climax. Orgasms – their frequency, duration, and intensity – are a measure of virility and “success” and, therefore, a form of narcissistic supply.
The cerebral narcissist is a know-it-all, haughty and intelligent “computer”. He uses his awesome intellect, or knowledge (real or pretended) to secure adoration, adulation and admiration. To him, his body and its maintenance are a burden and a distraction.
Both types are auto-erotic (psychosexually in love with themselves, with their bodies and with their brain). Both types prefer masturbation to adult, mature, interactive, multi-dimensional and emotion-laden sex.
The cerebral narcissist is often celibate (even when he has a girlfriend or a spouse). He prefers pornography and sexual auto-stimulation to the real thing. The cerebral narcissist is sometimes a latent (hidden, not yet outed) homosexual.
The somatic narcissist uses other people’s bodies to masturbate with, on, and in. Sex with him – pyrotechnics and acrobatics aside – is likely to be an impersonal and emotionally alienating and draining experience. The partner is often treated as an object, an extension of the somatic narcissist, a toy, a warm and pulsating vibrator.
It is a mistake to assume type-constancy. In other words, all narcissists are BOTH cerebral and somatic. In each narcissist, one of the types is dominant. So, the narcissist is either OVERWHELMINGLY cerebral – or DOMINANTLY somatic. But the other type, the recessive (manifested less frequently) type, is there. It is lurking, waiting to erupt.
The narcissist swings between his dominant type and his recessive type. The latter is expressed mainly as a result of a major narcissistic injury or life crisis. Cerebral narcissism is also a form of passive-aggressive behavior intended to punish the narcissist’s intimate partner for her transgressions or mere incompatibility with the narcissist by withholding sex and intimacy.
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I think maybe NPD should be labeled as ego deficiency disorder. Something about The Narcissist myth seems wrong
@Prof. Sam Vaknin. Is there a relationship between cuckolding and/or hotwifing with schizoid cerebral narcissism? Your lectures have been very helpful.
PROF, where the dark energie of primitive perverse narcissic come from? Can you factualize it?
Dear Professor, could you please make a video about a celebral and a somatic narcissist relationship? It would be very interesting hearing your opinion about that.
2:54:46 literally Faust
Dear Professor I learn from you and I’m very grateful to you ❤ Thank you so much ❤
I captured a quote " If you play this part, he is justified, dumping and discarding you. If you don't play this part and if you accept him and love him unconditionally – he is your forever. He will be addicted to you forever. But extremely a few women survive this".
I am wondering what is happening with those women? If the narcissist is addicted to them that means there will be a chance of a final peace, abuse end time, I mean?
My narcissist had been married for 22 years – his ex-wife graduated as a psychologist (in my opinion to fix their problem). She was not aware of his condition, believe it or not, she said that he was insulting her and creaming her, making her guilty for everything at the beginning of the marriage because of his grandiose ego, but with time, he had got a better attitude, however, he was physically absent from the marriage. I think she has also some kind of problems surviving this type of marriage 🙂
Interesting! I have known somatic narcissists who are hyper intelligent. I assume that it is also a matter of whether they are able to get supply for a specific type/behavior? For example, environments that value machismo over intellect would create a somatic narcissist who may normally have been cerebral?
So is the cheating encouraged by the schizoid cerebral narcissist the way they separate?
PROFESSOR Ive been wanting to ask you this for a LONG time. Please sir, does the Narcissist plans all these manipulative things consciously??
Or is he subconsciously, as in it just overcomes him and he does it without even thinking about it for a second?
Thank you so much for everything
I wish I had the money to hire you , to come to Alabama, and participate in a state ordered psychiatric evaluation , on an inmate who is being held without bond. (My own personal dark triad narc. Because I took that hard left, in my exiting his shared fantasy, he suffered such a narcissistic injury, that he broke into my home, watched me as I slept, disarmed me as I slept, and woke me up, straddled on top of my back, with a loaded Glock to my head, to which he then fired into my pillow, and placed back on my head. I was hostage for 5 hours before I seduced my way enough to “help me find my phone” (that he had also taken with my weapon. The investigators say that according to evidence and tracking on his phone, that it wasn’t the first night, he had been out there in the dark shadows of my woods, lying in wait. Maybe this will peek your interest to look into it. This man’s parents was murder/suicided. When he was 15.
Wow! This is a great illustration of shape-shifting.
Do you feel modern culture is culminating narcissism in mass and that what can be considered an unhealthy degree of narcissism is simply "normal", now? I don't know how to escape myself or trust other people.
Sam could you give us an example of someone we all know who might have this condition
56:00 very helpful part to explain transphobia running rampant in the world. Thank you professor!
Can you please 🙏 do Extensive video on co_dependency?
This is so Insightful, thank you Sam❤
Prof Vaknin is approach avoidance to the extreme seen in any other personality disorder?
The Longer i listen to you sir
could i be confusing bpd with autism?
Hello Professor Vaknin, thank you for the latest video. I am confused. I understood from previous lectures that primary psychopaths and Narcissists have a different structure . Are you saying that failed Narcissists can become primary Psychopaths?
Clare
Hi Sam,
I found your videos over a year ago, and it saved me from repeating unfortunate choices, and just in general have helped my life overall, and I have always meant to send a thank you❤ hope your well:)
Wow I used to think that humans were complex creatures but not to this level… no wonder people can’t trust anybody you don’t know who you really getting involved with.. unless you take your time being with them craziness.. I mean like take your time like in years!
You are the best educative entertainment I have ever witnessed! You make the human's psychology irresistable like no other professor in the entire world!
I am currently a psychology student and I find your videos not only beyond any boarders entertaining but also very informative and educating. So TY 🙏