A Theory of Everything # 7 'PeekaBoo'
- Mark Stock
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
In the previous post to ‘A Theory of Everything’ I began to explain the extraordinary effect that Sally Mungall’s use of Covid 19 face masks had on the therapeutic relationship. In later posts I will expand upon this, going into further detail about the adverse influence those masks had on my own psychological transference.
The word ‘mask’ comes from the Middle French, ‘masque’ which means "covering to hide or guard the face".
There are, generally, two types of masks.
The first type of mask, or ‘artificial face’, is a physical covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or frighten others or for protection. Sometimes a mask is used for impression and reputation management. Since the 2006 release of the film V for Vendetta use of Guy Fawkes masks has become widespread internationally among groups protesting against politicians, banks, and financial institutions. The masks both conceal the identity and protect the face of individuals and demonstrate their commitment to a shared cause. I am also reminded of the ‘Man Behind the Curtain’ in The Wizard of Oz. The underlying message of that story ultimately encourages us to challenge authority, to question appearances, and to seek authenticity in all aspects of our lives.
The second type of mask is psychological. Human beings wear multiple social masks to adapt, belong, and survive within society. ‘Masking’, also known as social camouflaging, is a defensive behavior in which an individual conceals their natural personality or behavior, usually in response to social pressure. The causes of masking are highly contextual and situational. Masking may disguise emotions considered socially inappropriate within a situational context, such as anger or rage.
Both types of masks have one characteristic in common. They both give (someone or oneself) a different appearance that, intentionally or otherwise, conceal one's identity. Both types of mask can be employed as a form of deception.
There is a deceiver and there is the duped.
Was Sally Mungall using a mask to deceive or to protect herself?
Back to that second meeting on the 16th September, 2021 and that moment when I asked if she would remove the Covid 19 mask, if only once, so that I could see who she was and establish a human connection.
When Sally Mungall momentarily revealed her face I was disorientated.
PEEKABOO! There was somebody behind the mask.
Peekaboo is thought by development psychologists to demonstrate an infant's ability, usually after 8 months of age, to understand object permanence. Object permanence is a foundational concept in infant cognition, referring to a child’s understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched.
I stared at Sally Mungall for less than several seconds while tectonic plates seemed to shift. The psychological experience was unsettling and disturbing. To this day I still don’t fully understand why the temporary removal of the mask was so destabilising. I will posit some theories in later posts.
When Sally Mungall put her mask back on she disappeared and I didn’t want her to go.
When I returned home I trawled the internet for Sally Mungall. This wasn’t out of the ordinary for me. I had developed good practice in researching ALL the healthcare professionals appointed to my daughter in order to satisfy myself of their competence, evidenced through experience and qualifications. I guess I was, like Dorothy, challenging authority and questioning appearances.
Sally Mungall wasn’t hard to find. She maintained a home-based art therapy practice outside of the NHS and advertised her services online. Her website was loaded with information including precise directions to her home, a photo of the terrace of houses where she lived and a photo of herself. I copied that photo onto my laptop. Sally Mungall also had a Facebook account. Facebook allows you to select your privacy settings so that you can you can choose your audience when you actually post. When you choose to share something with the Public it is considered public information. It is in the public domain. All of Sally Mungall's information and all of her posts were shared with the public including a second photo which I also copied onto my laptop.
The two photos of Sally Mungall were meant to serve as psychological anchors. I would always have a face to relate to, refer to, a picture frame of reference instead of a mask.
The real Sally Mungall was, again, hiding behind the mask. She was the woman behind the curtain.
It is my firm belief that the woman behind the curtain was driven by her own unprocessed historical trauma, alluded to in her admission of ‘counter-transference’ in her own ‘therapy notes’ of the 2nd September, 2021, likely exacerbated by contemporaneous personal issues at home.
The mask was an artifice to leverage psychological power in service to her own agenda. I believe that Sally Mungall was motivated to wreak revenge.
Next, A Theory of Everything # 8 'Disgust'
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