Narcissism as Recursive Collapse - A Structural Model of Relational Distortion and Interpretive Saturation

This paper presents a structural model of narcissism as a recursive collapse of interpretive boundaries, drawing from predictive processing theory, self-psychology, dialogical self theory, and trauma studies. Rather than viewing narcissism as a trait of exaggerated self-regard or a misunderstood ego function, the authors frame it as a symbolic configuration that preserves coherence through projection, narrative control, and resistance to contradiction. The narcissistic pattern is not merely interpersonal dysfunction—it is a recursive cognitive system that distorts feedback, suppresses mutual reality, and offloads emotional burden onto others. The paper outlines six sections: (1) Narcissism as Interpretive Structure, (2) The Self as Predictive Symbolic Model, (3) Relational Distortion and Emotional Outsourcing, (4) Collapse of Mutual Reality, (5) Recovery Through Structural Separation, and (6) Enlightenment as Decentering of Interpretive Authority. The model reframes healing not as reinterpretation, but as narrative sovereignty; and enlightenment not as ego enhancement, but as freedom from recursive self-reference.