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Abstract
Igra L. Myth or Delusion? An Exploration of Open and Closed States of Mind. In Forum Psychoanal 1997;6:25-31. Stockholm, ISSN 0803-706X.
The relationship between myth and delusion and the difference between them is related to open and closed states of mind. While the myth has the creative potential of flexible and open symbolisations the delusion is marked by its symbolic poverty and rigid structure. These issues are discussed in relation to clinical material concerning a psychotic patient and his delusions. Countertransference played a crucial role in the development of the analyst's understanding of the process. The interchange between Oedipus and Teiresias in the Oedipus myth is used as a further illustration of how a personality can fall victim to a closed state of mind. The closed state of mind and the delusion are characterised by omnipotence and hatred of life. Finally an example of this universal conflict between destructive omnipotence on the one hand and love and joyful concern on the other is found in a dream of a less disturbed patient. This dream, like myth, articulates the conflict and invites further psychic work on the temptation of totalitarian states of mind.