This dissertation explores how the body's movement in spatial
orientation may play an influential role in the dis-ordering tendencies
of personality. The somatic psychodiagnostic approach to personality
presented in this dissertation advances the case for a more rigorous
examination of the body/psyche dynamic in the formation, assessment, and
treatment of personality issues. The hypothesis of this study is that
stimulation of the motor/sensory system in movements through various
spatial planes substantially impacts perceptions of self, others, and
the world. These perceptions form the basis of the evolving personality.
Rather than viewing personality as a set of fixed traits, personality is
viewed as a state of consciousness on a continuum of adaptations to
self, others, and the world. Research findings of this study with 70
research participants indicate that fixations in movement correlate with
fixations in personality. In this schema a causal comparative relation
between 12 fixated spatial orientations and 12 clinically recognized
personality disorders is demonstrated in matrix, tabular, and textual
formats.