Der "Gummi-Effekt": Projektive Identifikation und die Schwierigkeit der Autonomie bei Innerhofer, Nietzsche und Kafka

This paper analyzes the phenomenon of the psychological "rubber-band effect" (Gummi-Effekt) based on the biographies and works of Franz Innerhofer, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Franz Kafka. The effect describes the dynamic where individuals become intuitively aware of the destructive projective identification exerted by their parents (or institutional representatives) but fall back into these internalized destructive structures later in life.The work highlights how profoundly these projections disrupt the development of autonomy and lead to lifelong autonomy problems. Particular attention is paid to the difficulty of building a stable sense of self-worth when negative projections have been internalized. Using the example of Franz Innerhofer's alcoholism, it is illustrated how the "rubber-band effect" functions as a retreat into destructive behaviors when the establishment of an independent identity fails. Furthermore, the problem for children raised in homes (Heimkinder) to free themselves from these externally determined identities is discussed.