Revitalizing Oedipus

Abstract

Three steps are presented to revitalize the concept of the Oedipus complex and to apply this revitalized concept to clinical work. First, a comprehensive child developmental map is constructed of the road from the early infantile genital phase to the achievement of the full Oedipus stage, integrating the diverse components of self, gender, libido, aggression, ego, superego, object relationship and adaptation. Second, specific developmental lines (e.g., separation-individuation) are magnified in a given patient for close examination to explore the relationship to that patient's overall oedipal conflicts. Third, a reciprocal interaction is fostered between the evolving conceptual framework and the emerging clinical data. The paper contains two in-depth case examples to illustrate the clinical application of these ideas.

Key Words:

• Oedipus complex
• infantile genital phase
• developmental map