Transcending the caesura: Reverie, dreaming and counter‐dreaming

Abstract

The author reflects about our capacity to get in touch with primitive, irrepresentable, seemingly unreachable parts of the Self and with the unrepressed unconscious. It is suggested that when the patient's dreaming comes to a halt, or encounters a caesura, the analyst dreams that which the patient cannot. Getting in touch with such primitive mental states and with the origin of the Self is aspired to, not so much for discovering historical truth or recovering unconscious content, as for generating motion between different parts of the psyche. The movement itself is what expands the mind and facilitates psychic growth. Bion's brave and daring notion of ‘caesura’, suggesting a link between mature emotions and thinking and intra‐uterine life, serves as a model for bridging seemingly unbridgeable states of mind. Bion inspires us to ‘dream’ creatively, to let our minds roam freely, stressing the analyst's speculative imagination and intuition often bordering on hallucination. However, being on the seam between conscious and unconscious, dreaming subverts the psychic equilibrium and poses a threat of catastrophe as a result of the confusion it affords between the psychotic and the non‐psychotic parts of the personality. Hence there is a tendency to try and evade it through a more saturated mode of thinking, often relying on external reality. The analyst's dreaming and intuition, perhaps a remnant of intra‐uterine life, is elaborated as means of penetrating and transcending the caesura, thus facilitating patient and analyst to bear unbearable states of mind and the painful awareness of the unknowability of the emotional experience. This is illustrated clinically.

Die Zaesur transzendieren: Reverie, Träumen und Gegen‐Träumen

Der Autor untersucht unsere Fähigkeit, mit primitiven, nicht repräsentationsfähigen, scheinbar unerreichbaren Selbstanteilen und mit dem nicht‐verdrängten Unbewussten in Berührung zu kommen. Wenn das Träumen des Patienten sistiert oder auf eine Zäsur trifft, so die Überlegung, träumt der Analytiker, was der Patient nicht träumen kann. Das Bemühen, eine Verbindung zu solchen primitiven psychischen Zuständen und zum Ursprung des Selbst herzustellen, hat weniger die Aufdeckung einer historischen Wahrheit oder die Bewusstmachung des Unbewussten zum Ziel – vielmehr sollen verschiedene Anteile der Psyche in Bewegung versetzt werden. Die Bewegung an sich erweitert die Psyche und fördert psychische Weiterentwicklung.

Bions mutiges, kühnes Konzept der „Zäsur”, das eine Verbindung zwischen reifen Emotionen und reifem Denken einerseits und dem intra‐uterinen Leben andererseits postuliert, dient als Modell einer Überbrückung vermeintlich unüberbrückbarer psychischer Zustände. Bion regt uns an, kreativ zu „träumen”, unsere Gedanken schweifen zu lassen, indem er die spekulative Einbildungskraft des Analytikers und seine häufig an ein Halluzinieren grenzende Intuition betont. Doch weil das Träumen auf der Schwelle zwischen Bewusstem und Unbewusstem stattfindet, untergräbt es das psychische Gleichgewicht und beschwört eine Katastrophe herauf, indem es zwischen dem psychotischen und dem nicht‐psychotischen Persönlichkeitsanteil Konfusion erzeugt. Daher rührt die Tendenz, es mit Hilfe einer höher gesättigten Denkweise, die sich häufig auf die äußere Realität stützt, zu vermeiden.

Das Träumen und die Intuition des Analytikers, die vielleicht Relikte des intra‐uterinen Lebens bilden, werden als Möglichkeit erörtert, die Zäsur zu überwinden und es dem Patienten wie auch dem Analytiker auf diese Weise zu erleichtern, unerträgliche psychische Zustände sowie das schmerzvolle Gewahrsein zu ertragen, dass emotionales Erleben nicht „gekannt” werden kann. Klinische Beispiele illustrieren die theoretischen Überlegungen.

Trascendiendo la cesura: Ensoñación (reverie), soñar y contra‐soñar

El autor reflexiona sobre nuestra capacidad de mantenernos en contacto con partes del Self primitivas, irrepresentables y aparentemente inalcanzables así como con el inconsciente no‐reprimido. Sugiere que cuando los sueños del paciente se detienen, o encuentran una cesura, el analista sueña lo que el paciente no ha podido soñar. Al entrar en contacto con esos estados primitivos del Self así como con el origen del Self no se aspira tanto a descubrir la verdad histórica o a recuperar contenidos inconsciente sino que se busca generar un movimiento entres las diferentes partes de lo psíquico. El movimiento mismo es lo que expande la mente y facilita el crecimiento psíquico.

La valiente y audaz noción de ‘cesura’ de Bion, que sugiere un vínculo entre emociones y pensamientos maduros y la vida intrauterina, sirve como modelo para establecer un puente entre estados de la mente aparentemente desconectados. Bion nos alienta a ‘soñar’ creativamente, a dejar nuestras mentes vagar libremente, enfatizando la imaginación especulativa del analista y la intuición que a menudo linda con la alucinación. Sin embargo, en la unión entre consciente e inconsciente, el sueño subvierte el equilibrio psíquico y plantea una amenaza de catástrofe como resultado de la confusión que permite entre la parte psicótica y la no‐psicótica de la personalidad. Por ello, hay una tendencia a tratar de evadirla por medio de un modo de pensamiento más saturado, que a menudo reposa en la realidad externa.

El soñar y la intuición del analista, tal vez un remanente de la vida intrauterina, es elaborado como un medio de penetrar y trascender la cesura y, de este modo, facilita a paciente y analista tolerar insoportables estados mentales y dolorosas tomas de conciencia de lo incognoscible de la experiencia emocional. Esto se ilustra clínicamente.

Transcender la césure: Rêverie, rêver, contre‐rêver

L'auteur réfléchit sur notre capacité d'entrer en contact avec des parties primitives, irreprésentables, apparemment inaccessibles du Soi, ainsi qu'avec l'inconscient non‐refoulé. Il est proposé que lorsque le rêver du patient s'arrête, ou rencontre une césure, l'analyste rêve de ce dont le patient est incapable. Le désir d'entrer en contact avec les états mentaux primitifs et avec les origines du Soi se poursuit non pas tant pour découvrir une vérité historique, ou retrouver un fond inconscient, mais afin de générer du mouvement entre les différentes composantes de la psyché. C'est ce mouvement même qui sert à dilater l'esprit et faciliter l'évolution psychique.

La ‘césure’ de Bion, une notion audacieuse et courageuse, qui propose l'existence d'un lien entre les émotions et les pensées de la vie adulte et la vie intra‐utérine, sert ici comme modèle pour relier des états d'esprit apparemment infranchissables. Bion nous inspire à rêver de façon créative, de laisser errer librement notre pensée, soulignant l'intuition et l'imagination spéculative de l'analyste qui frôle souvent l'hallucinatoire. Cependant, à la limite du conscient et de l'inconscient, le rêve subvertit l'équilibre psychique et pose une menace de catastrophe dans la mesure où il se permet de confondre les parties psychotiques et non psychotiques de la personnalité. Il y a donc une tendance à l'éviter par un mode de pensée plus saturé qui s'appuie souvent sur la réalité extérieure.

Le rêver de l'analyste, et son intuition, peut‐être un reste de la vie intra‐utérine, s'élabore comme un moyen de pénétrer et de transcender la césure, ainsi facilitant la capacité de l'analyste et du patient de soutenir des états d'esprit insoutenables et la conscience douloureuse de l'inconnaissable présent dans l'expérience émotionnelle. Des vignettes cliniques servent d'exemples.

Trascendendo la caesura: Reverie, sogno e ‘contro‐sogno’

L'autore riflette sulla capacità umana di entrare in contatto con parti primitive del Sé, irrappresentabili e a prima vista inaccessibili, nonché con l'inconscio non‐represso. Si propone che qualora il paziente smetta di sognare o incontri una configurazione di caesura, l'analista sogni ciò che il paziente non può sognare. Il contatto con stati mentali cosí primitivi e con gli aspetti più reconditi del Sé è auspicabile non tanto per scoprire la verità storica o per recuperare contenuti inconsci, quanto per generare un movimento fra le differenti parti della psiche. É infatti il movimento stesso che apre la mente e favorisce la crescita psichica.

Il coraggioso concetto bioniano di ‘caesura’, che propone un nesso fra emozioni mature, pensiero e vita intrauterina, offre un modello per collegare stati mentali a prima vista incompatibili. Bion ci insegna a ‘sognare’ in modo creativo, a lasciar vagare la mente liberamente; egli dà particolare importanza all'immaginazione intuitiva e speculativa dell'analista, che sfiora spesso l'allucinazione. Il sogno, tuttavia, essendo situato al confine fra conscio e inconscio, sovverte l'equilibrio psichico e presenta una minaccia di catastrofe a causa della confusione che viene a crearsi fra la parte psicotica della personalità e quella non‐psicotica. Tale minaccia causerebbe la tendenza a sottrarsi al sogno con il ricorso a una modalità di pensiero più saturata, fondata spesso sulla realtà esterna.

L'elaborazione del sogno e dell'intuizione dell'analista – possibili echi, questi, di vita intra‐uterina‐ consente di penetrare e trascendere la caesura; paziente e analista possono in tal modo sopportare stati mentali intollerabili, e la dolorosa consapevolezza dell'impossibilità di conoscere l'esperienza emotiva. Una presentazione clinica illustra queste proposte.

Key words:

• Bion
• caesura
• counter‐dreaming
• dreaming
• reverie
• unrepressed unconscious

1. An abbreviated version of this paper was presented at The Eighth Annual Evolving British Object Relations Conference: Self and Object Relations. Seattle, WA, USA, November 2011.

1. An abbreviated version of this paper was presented at The Eighth Annual Evolving British Object Relations Conference: Self and Object Relations. Seattle, WA, USA, November 2011.

Notes

1. An abbreviated version of this paper was presented at The Eighth Annual Evolving British Object Relations Conference: Self and Object Relations. Seattle, WA, USA, November 2011.

2. Bion (1962) asserts that an emotional experience cannot be conceived of in isolation from a relationship. The basic relationships he postulates are Love, Hate and Knowledge, designating them as L, H, and K links, respectively.

3. Placental economy is a primitive registration, prior to birth and to the link between mouth and nipple. It suggests a primordial, paradoxical form of linkage–separateness. Albeit commonly thought of as a mutual product, half maternal and half fetal, the placenta is in fact a tissue created by the fetus, differentiated from the endometrium, although deeply embedded in it. Even though it is created by the fetus, it behaves almost independently of it. Even in the womb there is no fusion between mother and fetus, nor is there an empty space between them, but rather a semi‐permeable membrane of linkage and separateness (Irigaray, 1990). Thus it seems that the placenta serves as an apt metaphor for understanding the function of the contact barrier and of dreaming.

4. Different aspects of this theme have been developed by various authors (for example, de M'Uzan, 2000; Ferro, 2005; Meltzer, 1986). Notably, Ogden (2004) has poetically written of the analyst participating in dreaming the patient's undreamt and interrupted dreams. While concurring with these thoughts, I will attempt in what follows to stress two points. Leaning on Bion's emphasis on the process of thinking, I would like to address not so much dreaming the patient's or analyst's foreclosed thoughts and feelings, but rather to think of the analyst's reverie and dreaming as facilitating the process of dreaming itself, regardless of its content. I will try to highlight the very function of dreaming that the patient internalizes, even if there is no overlapping at all between the content of patient's and analyst's dreaming/non‐dreaming. Furthermore, alongside the notion of the analyst's reverie as facilitating the analytic couple to get in touch with remote, seemingly unreachable parts of the psyche, I would also like to stress the caesural quality of reverie, encompassing the enigmatic otherness and the painful unknowability of the other.

5. For that he had articulated ‘the grid’, to facilitate mapping, after the session, those wandering thoughts, and for conceptualizing his intuitions.

6. In denoting intuition as ‘embryological’, Bion was also influenced by Buber's reference to Jewish myth, saying “&in his mother's womb man knows the universe and forgets it at birth” (in Bion, 1977a). This concept helps Bion to conjecture how the fetus perceives the intra‐uterine environment or becomes aware of feelings of terror, of sound, of sight, etc. (Bion, 1977b). The usefulness of making conjectures about a continuity between prenatal and postnatal functioning is that it allows us to widen the field of clinical observation and understanding of certain manifestations, seeing them as traces of the first stages of emotional development (Tuckett and Levinson, 2010). Moreover, this speculative imagination serves to produce the conditions in which the germ of a scientific idea can flourish (Bion, 1977b). “I wish it were possible to discuss these matters without having to invent a language as if it were scientifically accurate,” says Bion, “But it is the best we can do until such time as it becomes possible to use it scientifically” (1976d, p. 273).

7. Civitarese (2008) elaborates the notion of ‘caesura’ as Bion's discourse on method.

8. Primal repression is a difficult concept, partly because the label has an unsatisfactory and misleading implication that something mental had been or is being actively ‘primally repressed’ (Kinston and Cohen, 1986).

9. For Matte Blanco, as for Bion, Freud's conceptualization of the unconscious in terms of the repressed unconscious is not sufficient. Among other reasons, this is due to the expansion of psychoanalysis and the encounter with patients whose thinking and dreaming capacities are defected (Lombardi, 2009) , as can be seen in autistic states, for instance.

10. Freud (1917), too, writes that at the beginning of our mental life we did in fact have the capacity to hallucinate the satisfying object when we felt the need for it. But we soon had to give up hallucinatory satisfaction of our wishes and set up a kind of ‘reality‐testing’.

11. Freud (1917) writes that: “The formation of the wishful phantasy and its regression to hallucination are the most essential parts of the dream‐work, but they do not belong exclusively to dreams” (p. 229). He differentiated between the hallucination of the schizophrenic and the hallucinatory delirium of amentia. In the latter, resembling a day‐dream, he says, one might speak of a ‘hallucinatory wishful psychosis’, and attribute it equally to dreams and amentia. In his 1958 paper On hallucination, Bion differentiates between hysterical and psychotic hallucinations. He refers to the patient's experience at times as a hallucination and at other times as a dream. Already here, Bion moves within the caesura between a dream and a hallucination.

12. A line from John Milton's poem Paradise Lost which Bion often cites to describe truth, which too, is infinite and formless.

13. This may also be illustrated by Britton's (2003) thoughts about the erotic countertransference that sometimes antedates the overt appearance of the erotic transference. When it does, it serves as a useful clinical indication of an as yet undisclosed erotic transference.