Memory and forgetfulness in the psychoanalytic situation

Abstract

Freud worked under the premise that neuroses were caused by repressed memories from traumatic experiences. What has been repressed tends to reappear in the form of a symptom. The cure consisted of remembering anew the repressed in the psychoanalytic situation. But, a vagueness persists concerning concepts as memory, traumatic experiences and repression in psychoanalysis. Memories are symbolised happenings while traumatic experiences are regarded as non-symbolised occurrences. Ogden reflects on the difference between repressed memories and traces of traumatic experiences in his careful examination of Winnicott’s “Fear of breakdown”. He concludes that “a past event that occurred, but was not experienced, continues to torment the patient until it is lived in the present (with the mother/analyst).” Ogden extends the Freudian concept of the unconscious. This conception is compared with Laplanche’s theory of the unconscious and his translational model. It is found that both theories deepen our understanding of the divergences between repressed memories and traumatic experiences that are essential regarding what is possible to remember and forget. It is found that the two theories might differ regarding the analyst’s approach and it is asked if their different views have an impact of the analyst’s way of analysing.

Keywords:

• memory
• traumatic experiences
• psychoanalytic situation
• Laplanche
• Ogden

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rolf Künstlicher

Rolf Künstlicher is a training and supervising psychoanalyst at the International Psychoanalytical Association. He is a former chairman of the Swedish Training Institute. He has published a doctoral dissertation titled “The psychoanalytic situation as a play situation: exploration of a multi-faceted clinical situation”.