★ Renowned psychologist and founder of Imagery Dialogue Therapy, Zhu Jianjun, unveils the mysteries of multiple personalities.​​

★ This book offers a fascinating and accessible exploration of the human psyche, revealing how everyone possesses multiple "subpersonalities". Through Zhu’s groundbreaking "Imagery Dialogue" technique—a pioneering Chinese psychotherapy method developed over decades of clinical practice—you’ll learn to identify, understand, and harmonize these inner selves.

★ By mastering the "Personality Disassembly" method, you’ll gain clarity on your inner world, transform inner conflicts into harmony, and unlock the power of self-awareness to achieve personal growth.

★ Packed with practical exercises, including personality tests and the "Subpersonality Poker" game, this book provides an engaging, step-by-step journey to self-mastery.

Your inner world is home to multiple "selves"—distinct facets of your personality, each with unique traits and preferences. These "subpersonalities" interact constantly, shaping who you are. Zhu Jianjun’s Imagery Dialogue Therapyrefers to them as the "inner cast of characters."
How well do you truly know yourself? Your ability to navigate life hinges on recognizing these subpersonalities and understanding their dynamics.
Through techniques like the ​​"Personality Disassembly" method​​, ​​"Inner Organization Map"​​, and ​​"Subpersonality Poker"​​, this book guides you in identifying, befriending, and harnessing the power of your inner selves. By transforming inner coldness into warmth, conflict into harmony, and psychological distress into resilience, you’ll achieve profound emotional purification and renewal—paving the way for a more fulfilling life.

Zhu Jianjun

Zhu Jianjun is a renowned psychologist and one of China’s earliest and most distinguished practitioners in the field of psychotherapy, with over 30 years of dedicated experience in psychological counseling. As the Director of the Imagery Dialogue Therapy Division under the Mental Health Committee of the Chinese Federation of Social Work, Deputy Director of the Ecology and Environmental Psychology Committee at the Chinese Society of Social Psychology, Founder and First Chair of the Psychology Department at Beijing Forestry University, as well as a Professor at the same institution, Zhu has played a pivotal role in advancing psychological research and practice in China.

In the 1990s, he pioneered "Imagery Dialogue Therapy", an indigenous Chinese psychotherapeutic approach, making him the second scholar in China—following Dr. Zhong Youbin (founder of "Cognitive Insight Therapy")—to independently develop an original method of psychological counseling and treatment. To date, Zhu has authored more than 30 books spanning diverse domains, including not only psychotherapy and counseling but also cultural psychology, psychohistory, environmental psychology and criminal psychology. His notable works include "Who Are You, Really?", "Self-Knowledge", "The Medicine Tree", "Dream Interpretation" and "Journey Through the Castle of the Mind".

Part 1: Disassembling Yourself​​
Chapter 1: How Many Selves Do You Really Have?
Case Study: A Woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder
Everyone Has Multiple Personalities
The Best Method to Discover Subpersonalities: Personality Imagery Decomposition

Chapter 2: The Ingenious Approach to the Inner World: Imagery Dialogue Therapy
Learning to See Yourself Through the "Mind’s Eye"
Giving Subpersonalities a Chance to Emerge
How Imagery Dialogue Improves Your Inner Selves

Chapter 3: The Magical "Personality Disassembly" Technique
Initiating the Process: Guiding and Recording Subpersonalities
Inviting Subpersonalities to Appear: Key Techniques
Signals of Subpersonality Emergence: When They "Take Over"
Variations: Eliciting Subpersonalities Through Different Scenarios
Evolution and Restructuring: The Phoenix-like Transformation of Self
​​Part 2: Exploring Your Inner World​​

Chapter 4: Understanding the "Interpersonal Dynamics" of Your Mind
Enhancing Self-Awareness: Introducing Subpersonalities to Each Other
Cultivating Warmth: Transforming Emotionally Cold Subpersonalities
Achieving Inner Harmony: Resolving Conflicts Between Subpersonalities
The Secret of Self-Acceptance: Finding Compatible Inner Selves
Tracking Subpersonalities: Practical Techniques

Chapter 5: Fun Psychological Tests: Seeing Yourself Clearly Through Subpersonalities
Measuring "Psychological Age" via Subpersonality Maturity
Exploring "Psychological Gender" Through Masculine/Feminine Traits
Assessing Self-Acceptance: Internal Harmony Metrics
Evaluating Self-Knowledge: Isolation, Detachment and Complexity

Chapter 6: The "Mini-Society" of the Mind: The Structure of Your Inner World
The Inner Organization Map: Clarifying Subpersonalities Relationships
Relationship Circles and Emotional Complexes: Understanding Interpersonal Issues
How Subpersonality Structures Shape Your Personality
​​Part 3: The Truth About Subpersonalities​​

Chapter 7: The Cast of Your Inner World: Identifying Your Subpersonalities
Symbolism of Different Subpersonalities
Ancient Forces: Archetypes and Primordial Images
Why You Share Traits with Others: Shared Archetypes
Spotting Disguised Archetypes
Purifying the Inner World: Identifying Impure Subpersonalities
Exposing Hidden Archetypes: Detection Techniques
When Characters Emerge: Subpersonalities Representing Your Traits
Animal Subpersonalities: Reflecting Your Temperament
Dark Subpersonalities: Death, Demons, and Ghosts
Divine Subpersonalities: Gods, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas
Inanimate Subpersonalities: Plants, Minerals, and Objects

Chapter 8: The Mysterious Power of the Mind: Analyzing Inner Elements
Value-Driven Elements: What Motivates Your Subpersonalities
Qualitative Elements: Inner Experiences of Subpersonalities
Derived Needs: Fundamental Desires of Subpersonalities
Behavioral Traits: How Subpersonalities Act
Shared Traits Across Different Imagery
Varied Sexual Energy States: Seductresses vs. Resentful Women
How Life Experiences Shape Subpersonalities

Chapter 9: Where Do Subpersonalities Come From?
Innate Subpersonalities: Genetic Predispositions
Internalized Subpersonalities: Learned from Others
Time-Bound Subpersonalities: Shaped by Life Phases
Experiential Subpersonalities: Formed by Life Events
Role-Based Subpersonalities: Adapted for Social Functioning

Chapter 10: Unique Laws of the Inner World
Why Women Have Male Subpersonalities
Avoiding Literal Interpretations of Subpersonalities
The Realm of Psychological Reality
Two Misconceptions: Denial vs. Over-Identification
​​Part 4: Decoding Interpersonal Dynamics​​

Chapter 11: Every Person is a World: The Secrets of Social Psychology
The "Copies" of Others in Your Mind
How Subpersonalities Shape External Relationships
Psychological "Rejection Reactions"
Absorbing Strength Through Loving Others

Chapter 12: No Boundaries Between People: Analyzing Interpersonal Subpersonalities
Identifying Which Subpersonalities You Use in Social Settings
The Subpersonality Poker Game: A Fun Interpersonal Tool
Dissolving Boundaries: Unity and Connection
​​Part 5: Achieving Inner and Outer Harmony​​

Chapter 13: Recognizing Them: Identifying Subpersonalities
Distinguishing Subpersonalities
Speech Patterns and Tone
Handwriting and Appearance
Mastering Subpersonality Recognition for Self-Control

Chapter 14: Sending the Right "Person" to the Forefront: Subpersonality Substitution
The Wisdom of "Assigning the Right Role": Substitution for Emotional Regulation
Methods of Subpersonality Substitution
Signs: Making Subpersonality Access Easier
Balance: Ensuring Every Subpersonality Has a Voice

Chapter 15: The Art of Self-Love: Adjusting Subpersonality Relationships
Solo Group Therapy
Reducing Self-Isolation
Enhancing Self-Acceptance
Mutual Complementarity: The "Self-Sufficiency" of Subpersonalities

Chapter 16: Life, Death, and Transformation: Subpersonality Evolution
Constant Evolution: The "Never-Ending" Nature of Subpersonalities
Physical and Chemical Changes
Nuclear-Level Transformations: Total Self-Renewal
Patterns of Subpersonality Evolution

Chapter 17: You in Me, Me in You: Resolving Relationships Through Imagery Dialogue
The Six-Step Method in Psychotherapy
Taking Responsibility for Interpersonal Issues
Identifying the "Responsible Subpersonality"
Empowerment Through Self-Reflection and Compassion
Applying Imagery Dialogue to Friendships: Are They Fated?
Applying Imagery Dialogue to Romantic Relationships: Why You Fell in Love
​​Part 6: Diagnosing the Roots of Psychological Issues​​

Chapter 18: Battling Inner Demons: Subpersonalities Linked to Obsessive Tendencies
The Messenger of Death: The Demon
The Product of Fear: The Perfectionist
The Misuse of Reason: The Debater Who Denies Everything

Chapter 19: Beauty and Ugliness: Subpersonalities Related to Performative Traits
The Tool of Control: The Actor
The Embodiment of Narcissism: The Beautiful/Sexy Figure
Sensuality as Attraction: The Seductress or Prostitute
Animal Imagery with Sexual Energy: The Beast Spirit
Emotional Manipulation: The Long-Haired Woman
Innocence as a Shield: The Child
Tools of Fear: Various Ghosts
The Ugly Duckling Hiding Insecurity: The Unattractive One

Chapter 20: Crying for Whom? Subpersonalities Linked to Dependency
The Tearful Seducer: The Crier
The Adorable One: The Child or Small Animal
Benefiting from Illness: The Patient
The Angry Goddess: The Witch
The Symbol of Misfortune: The Beggar

Chapter 21: The Troublemakers of the Mind: Subpersonalities That Cause Psychological Issues
The Emotionless Machine: The Robot in a Cold Suit
Using Sex to Escape Death: The Hedonist
Paranoia: The Beast and Evil Forces
Extreme Isolation: The Alien "Other"
The Symbol of Mystical Intuition: Witches and Mythical Creatures

​​Afterword: Musings on Personality​​
Topic 1: Human Evolution Through the Lens of Imagery Dialogue– How Animals Became Humans
Topic 2: The Inspiration and Historical Roots of Imagery Dialogue
Topic 3: The Unique Perspective of Imagery Dialogue– Personality as a Divisible Whole