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Psychoanalytic Theory and Technique

Encapsulated body engrams and somatic narration – Integrating body memory into psychoanalytic technique

Pages 671-688 | Published online: 28 Jun 2021
 

ABSTRACT

Beginning with the observation that a good integration of soma and psyche is often missing in our work with severely disturbed analysands, two concepts are discussed that focus constellations of bodily encoded unconscious material, which needs a specific form of working-through. The concept of encapsulated body engrams referring to defence structures revolving around the inhibition or disorganization of an affective bodily impulse is outlined. The imbalance arising this way is perceived as a foreign body within the body-self. These engrams are repetitive and are not susceptible to symbolic transformation. Parallels between the encapsulated body engram, the autistic objects (Tustin, F. 1980. “Autistic Objects.” International Review of Psycho-Analysis 27: 27–39) and Freud's theory of inhibition (Freud, S. 1926. “Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety.” SE 20: 77–175) are discussed. To unblock encapsulated engrams, body feelings emerging in the chain of associations are understood as attempts to communicate. In a process called somatic narration these perceptions are contextualized with other bodily sensations. The working-through of this material in transference and countertransference is described in the light of Lombardi's concepts (Lombardi, R. 2017. Body- Mind Dissociation in Psychoanalysis – Development after Bion. New York: Routledge). Two case reports precede the theoretical discussion.

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© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

The paper begins with the observation that a good integration of the soma and psyche is often missing in our work with severely disturbed analysands; two concepts are then discussed that focus on constellations of bodily encoded unconscious material which need a specific form of working through.

The author proposes the concept of encapsulated body engrams to refer to the defense structures revolving around the inhibition or disorganization of an affected bodily impulse. The dysfunctional imbalance that arises this way is often perceived as a foreign body within the body-self. These engrams are highly repetitive and are not susceptible to symbolic transformation. Parallels between the encapsulated body engram, the autistic objects (Tustin, 1980) and Freuds theory of inhibition (Freud, 1926) are discussed.

The paper argues that body feelings emerging in the chain of associations are attempts to communicate and to unblock encapsulated engrams. In a process called somatic narration, these perceptions are then contextualized with other bodily sensations. The unfolding and working through of this material in the transference and countertransference is described in light of Lombardi’s concepts (2017). Two case reports are explored.

L'auteur commence son article en faisant remarquer qu'une bonne intégration du soma et de la psyché fait souvent défaut à notre travail avec des analysants gravement perturbés ; il discute ensuite de deux concepts axés sur des constellations de matériaux inconscients encodés corporellement, qui doivent être perlaborés sous une forme spécifique.

L'auteur propose le concept d'engrammes corporels encapsulés en se référant aux structures défensives qui tournent autour de l'inhibition ou la désorganisation d'une impulsion corporelle altérée. Le déséquilibre dysfonctionnel qui en ressort est souvent perçu comme un corps étranger au sein du soi corporel. Ces engrammes sont extrêmement répétitifs et ne sont pas susceptibles d'être transformés symboliquement. L'auteur établit et discute des parallèles entre ces engrammes corporels encapsulés, les objets autistiques (Tustin, 1980) et la théorie freudienne de l'inhibition (Freud, 1926).

L'auteur soutient que les sensations corporelles qui émergent des la chaîne associative sont autant de tentatives pour communiquer et débloquer les engrammes corporels. Au cours d'un processus appelé récit somatique, ces perceptions sont alors contextualisées au sein d'autres sensations corporelles. Il décrit le déploiement et la perlaboration de ce matériel dans le transfert et contre-transfert à la lumière des concepts de Lombardi (2017). Il explore ensuite deux cas cliniques.

Der Beitrag beginnt mit der Beobachtung, dass eine gute Integration von Soma und Psyche bei unserer Arbeit mit schwer gestörten Analysanden häufig fehlt. Im Anschluss werden zwei Konzepte diskutiert, die das Hauptaugenmerk auf Konstellationen des körperlich kodierten unbewussten Materials richten, für die eine besondere Form des Durcharbeitens notwendig ist.

Der Autor schlägt das Konzept verkapselter Körperengramme für die Abwehrstrukturen vor, die sich um die Hemmung oder Desorganisation eines angegriffenen Körperimpulses drehen. Das daraus entstehende dysfunktionale Ungleichgewicht wird oft als fremder Körper im eigenen Körperselbst wahrgenommen. Diese Engramme sind in hohem Maße repetitiv und nicht für eine symbolische Transformation empfänglich. Es werden Parallelen zwischen dem verkapselten Körperengramm, den autistischen Objekten (Tustin, 1980) und Freuds Theorie der Hemmung (Freud, 1926) diskutiert.

In dem Beitrag wird argumentiert, dass in der Assoziationskette in Erscheinung tretende Körpergefühle Versuche darstellen, zu kommunizieren und die verkapselten Engramme aus ihrer Blockade zu lösen. In einem Prozess, der als somatisches Narrativ bezeichnet wird, werden diese Wahrnehmungen dann mit anderen körperlichen Wahrnehmungen kontextualisiert. Entfaltung und Durcharbeiten dieses Materials in der Übertragung und Gegenübertragung werden mit Blick auf Lombardis Konzepte (2017) beschrieben. Zwei Fallberichte werden untersucht.

L'articolo prende le mosse dalla constatazione che spesso, nel nostro lavoro con pazienti gravemente disturbati, è difficile trovare un buon livello di integrazione tra soma e psiche. Fatta questa premessa, si passano poi a discutere due concetti relativi a costellazioni di materiale inconscio codificato somaticamente che necessitano di una specifica forma di elaborazione.

L'autore propone il concetto di engrammi corporei incapsulati per designare quelle strutture difensive che si organizzano attorno all'inibizione o alla disorganizzazione di un particolare impulso somatico. Lo squilibrio disfunzionale che ne risulta è spesso percepito come un corpo estraneo all'interno del sé corporeo. Questi engrammi sono estremamente ripetitivi e non sono pervi alla trasformazione simbolica. Si discutono qui anche alcuni parallelismi tra il concetto di engrammi corporei incapsulati, quello di oggetti autistici (Tustin, 1980) e la teoria freudiana dell'inibizione (Freud, 1926).

L'autore sostiene che le sensazioni corporee che emergono nella catena associativa rappresentano dei tentativi di comunicare e sbloccare degli engrammi incapsulati. Queste percezioni vengono poi contestualizzate e messe in relazione ad altre sensazioni corporee attraverso un processo chiamato narrazione somatica. Il dispiegarsi e la progressiva elaborazione di questo materiale all'interno del transfert e del controtransfert vengono qui descritti alla luce di concetti sviluppati da Lombardi (2017). Sono presentate anche due vignette cliniche.

El artículo se inicia con la observación de que en el trabajo con analizados severamente perturbados a menudo falta una buena integración de la psique y el soma. Luego se discuten dos conceptos centrados en las constelaciones del material inconsciente codificado somáticamente que requieren una forma específica de elaboración.

El autor propone el concepto de engramas corporales encapsulados para referirse a las estructuras defensivas que giran en torno a la inhibición y la desorganización de un impulso corporal afectado. El desequilibrio disfuncional que surge de esta manera suele ser percibido como un cuerpo extraño dentro del yo corporal. Estos engramas son muy repetitivos y no son susceptibles de transformación simbólica. Se discuten las similitudes entre el engrama corporal encapsulado, el objeto autista (Tustin, 1980) y la teoría de la inhibición de Freud (Freud, 1926).

Se argumenta que los sentimientos corporales que emergen en la cadena de asociaciones son intentos de comunicar y desbloquear los engramas encapsulados. Estas percepciones entran en contexto con otras sensaciones corporales en un proceso denominado “narración somática”. Se describe el despliegue y la elaboración de este material en la transferencia a la luz de los conceptos de Lombardi (2017). Se exploran dos informes de casos.

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