Intersubjectivity, Multiplicity, and the Dynamic Unconscious

Abstract

This conceptual paper offers an integration and clarification of several constructs that have become prominent in current psychoanalytic thought: intersubjectivity, multiple selfhood, and the relational unconscious. It is argued that recent theory on multiple selves may be synthesized with the concept of intersubjectivity. From this viewpoint, multiple selves can be seen as subjectivities that may enter into various forms of intersubjective relatedness. Dynamic unconsciousness occurs when one subjectivity or self-state cannot be translated or formulated by another. Several short clinical anecdotes are offered to illustrate these points.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kyle Arnold

Kyle Arnold, M.A., Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn Center.