From Extension to Revolutionary Change in Clinical Psychoanalysis: The Radical Influence of Bion and Winnicott

Abstract

This paper addresses the radical departure of late Bion’s and Winnicott’s clinical ideas and practices from traditional psychoanalytic work, introducing a revolutionary change in clinical psychoanalysis. The profound significance and implications of their thinking are explored, and in particular Bion’s conception of transformation in O and Winnicott’s clinical-technical revision of analytic work, with its emphasis on regression in the treatment of more disturbed patients. The author specifically connects the unknown and unknowable emotional reality-O with unthinkable breakdown (Winnicott) and catastrophe (Bion). The author suggests that the revolutionary approach introduced by the clinical thinking of late Bion and Winnicott be termed quantum psychoanalysis. She thinks that this approach can coexist with classical psychoanalysis in the same way that classical physics coexists with quantum physics.

• Scientific revolution
• W. R. Bion
• extension
• D. W. Winnicott
• paradigm shift/paradigm change
• Thomas Kuhn
• transformation in K
• transformation in O
• at-one-ment
• regression
• unthinkable early breakdown
• unrepresented states
• being-in-oneness

Notes

Over the years, several authors have used Kuhn’s terminology to relate to the history of psychoanalytic thinking (Britton ; Govrin ; Hughes ; Levenson ; Lifton ; McDougall ; Modell , ) or to study Winnicott’s paradigm change (Abram , ; Eshel ; Loparic , ) and that of Bion (Brown ).

According to Symington (), it is called “O” by Bion for Ontology.

The term subjective object is used in Winnicott’s writing “in describing the first object, the object not yet repudiated as a not-me phenomenon” (, p. 93, italics in original).

Sandler refers to fantasy, whereas Kleinians refer to phantasy.

Ontology is the study of the nature of being.

I think of Stevie Smith’s poignant poem, “Not Waving but Drowning” ().

Quoted by Abram (, pp. 1, 312).

Actualize is intended here in its two meanings: “In the present and in the process of actualization, that is, trying to bring into existence what didn’t happen” (Pontalis , p. 45).

From my clinical experience, I would add patients with severe sexual perversions to this list of those in the most regressed group (Eshel ).

In my opinion, Winnicott has introduced the most extreme theoretical and clinical-technical psychoanalytic thinking evolving out of earliest human infancy. However, the shift toward primal forms in clinical psychoanalysis does not have to be limited solely to mother–infant natural processes and states, as can be seen in the writings of Searles (, ) and Botella and Botella ().

I recently learned that in the 1970s, Bion frequently talked about the uncertainty principle (Reiner ).

For an explanation of what I view as the quantum-like psychoanalytic counterpart, see Eshel (, ).