ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the general development of Alice Miller's theoretical perspectives. It considers her conceptualization of narcissism. Miller's delineation of narcissism as an adaptive response provides a foundation upon which to develop new approaches to religious seekership using object relations perspectives. Narcissistic transference will occur in movements characterized by charismatic leadership, communal settings, and a central goal of self-reconstruction by the followers. Narcissistic individuals seek to complete themselves and repair parental damages through finding confirmation in the eyes of others. Twinship transference is closely related to mirroring. Mirroring transference, unlike idealization, almost always involves positive interaction and confirmation. The concepts of narcissistic vulnerability and narcissistic transferences elucidate the life histories of a small group of individuals who followed the Indian spiritual master Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Narcissistic vulnerability is the intense emotional need to be attached to an individual or a group that defines and confirms an individual's identity and self-worth.
