Revisiting the destiny compulsion

Translations of summary

This paper is an attempt to deal with some questions raised by the so‐called ‘compulsion of destiny’ constellation. In presenting the standpoints of Freud and of psychoanalysts who after him were concerned with this problematic, the author takes the view that several aspects of the configuration merit further discussion. Accordingly, the dynamics of repetition compulsion, the complexity of the projective strategy, the coexistence of passive and omnipotent trends are considered. Concerning compulsive repetitions the dimension of drive intrication is underlined, thus moderating the understanding of this clinical entity as mainly related to death drive trends. Projection is understood as serving complex psychic demands. The coexistence of passive and omnipotent trends is envisaged, as manifested in phantasies of submission / participation of patients to a force that exceeds human limitations. For certain cases the consonance of somatic and psychic experiences is noted. Finally, elements from the material of two cases are presented which pertain to the problematic of the compulsion of destiny in which random events are submitted to heavy psychic necessities.

Retour à la compulsion de destinée

Ce texte est une tentative d'aborder certaines questions relatives à la problématique de la constellation dite ‘Compulsion de destinée’. L'auteur adopte le point de vue que plusieurs aspects de cette configuration clinique méritent une discussion plus approfondie. Sont ainsi revues: la dynamique de la compulsion à répéter; la complexité de la stratégie projective; la coexistence de la problématique passivité / omnipotence. Concernant les répétitions compulsives l'auteur met en exergue l'intrication pulsionnelle comme dimension toujours impliquée dans la complexité de la vie psychique. La problématique de la coexistence de dimensions de passivité et d'omnipotence est abordée par le biais de motions de soumission / participation de certains analysants à l'action d'une force qui excède les limites de l'humain. La projection est vue comme servant des demandes antithétiques et la consonance dans certains cas entre certaines manifestations psychiques et somatiques est notée. Quelques éléments du matériel de deux cas sont présentés en tant que reliés à la compulsion de destinée, cette entité clinique qui soumet le quotidien à une lourde nécessité psychique.

Eine neubetrachtung des schicksalszwangs

Dieser Beitrag versucht, mehreren Fragen auf den Grund zu gehen, die die Konstellation des sogenannten „Schicksalszwangs” aufwirft. Die Autorin referiert die Standpunkte Freuds und späterer Psychoanalytiker, die sich mit dieser Problematik beschäftigten, und vertritt die Ansicht, dass mehrere Aspekte der Konfiguration nach wie vor diskussionswürdig sind. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht sie die Dynamik des Wiederholungszwangs, die Komplexität der Projektionsstrategie sowie die Koexistenz passiver und omnipotenter Strebungen. In Bezug auf zwanghafte Wiederholungen betont die Autorin die Dimension der Triebbeteiligung, die die ausschließliche Zurückführung dieser klinischen Entität auf Strebungen des Todestriebs relativiert. Ihrem Verständnis zufolge erfüllt die Projektion gegensätzliche psychische Anforderungen. Untersucht wird die Koexistenz passiver und omnipotenter Strebungen, die sich in den Schwankungen bestimmter Analysanden zwischen der Unterwerfung unter einer Kraft, die menschliche Grenzen übersteigt, und der Teilhabe daran manifestieren. In manchen Fällen lässt sich eine Übereinstimmung zwischen somatischem und psychischem Erleben beobachten. Zur Illustration der Problematik des Schicksalszwangs werden auch Ausschnitte aus dem Material zweier Behandlungen präsentiert, in denen zufällige Ereignisse in den Dienst dringlicher psychischer Erfordernisse gestellt werden.

Rivisitare la condanna del destino –o coazione a ripeterlo

Questo articolo si propone di affrontare alcune questioni relative alla problematica della costellazione definita ‘coazione della vittima del destino’. L'autrice presenta le posizioni di Freud e degli psicoanalisti che ne hanno seguito le formulazioni e sostiene che diversi aspetti di questa configurazione meritano ulteriori approfondimenti. Prende perciò in esame le dinamiche della coazione a ripetere, la complessità della strategia proiettiva, la coesistenza di tendenze passive e onnipotenti. Riguardo la coazione a ripetere, l'autrice sottolinea la dimensione dell'intrico pulsionale e si propone di comprendere quanto questa entità clinica sia correlata principalmente alle tendenze della pulsione di morte. Considera la proiezione come un modo di rispondere a richieste psichiche antitetiche. La coesistenza di tendenze passive e onnipotenti si manifesta nelle mozioni di sottomissione/partecipazione di certi analizzandi a una forza che eccede i limiti umani. L'autrice nota la consonanza di esperienze somatiche e psichiche presente in certi casi. Vengono infine proposti stralci di materiale clinico relativo a due casi, che mettono in rilievo la problematica della coazione del predestinato a sottomettere a una pesante necessità psichica eventi casuali della vita.

Una reconsideración de la compulsión de destino

Este trabajo constituye un intento de responder algunas preguntas planteadas por la constelación de la llamada “compulsión de destino”. Al presentar la perspectiva de Freud y la de sus seguidores que se interesaron en esta problemática, la autora adopta el punto de vista de que varios aspectos de dicha configuración merecen ser analizados más a fondo. Por ello, reflexiona acerca de la dinámica de la compulsión a la repetición, la complejidad de la estrategia proyectiva y la convivencia de tendencias pasivas y omnipotentes. Respecto de las repeticiones compulsivas, se subraya la dimensión de la intricación pulsional, y se propone comprender en qué medida esta entidad clínica está relacionada principalmente con las tendencias de la pulsión de muerte. Se considera que la proyección está al servicio de demandas psíquicas antitéticas. Asimismo, la coexistencia de tendencias pasivas y omnipotentes se manifiesta en los movimientos de sumisión/participación de ciertos analizandos a/en una fuerza que excede los límites humanos. Además, se señala que en ciertas oportunidades se produce una consonancia entre experiencias somáticas y psíquicas. Finalmente, se presentan elementos del material de dos casos vinculados con la problemática de la compulsión de destino, entidad clínica que somete hechos aleatorios a necesidades psíquicas.

Key words:

• compulsion
• drives
• omnipotence
• passivity
• projection

1. Thanks are due to S. Leighton for her editing work.

1. Thanks are due to S. Leighton for her editing work.

Notes

1. Thanks are due to S. Leighton for her editing work.

2. Freud (1920, p. 21) gives the example of a woman whose three marriages followed the same course: the husband became ill and the wife nursed him till his death.

3. See also Deutsch's (1928) article on George Sand.

4. According to Heimann (1952) the subject procures self‐respect at the cost of being persecuted by the objects.

5. I endeavoured (1995, 2001) to describe the pathway this axis carves, freezing time, compressing the diachronic into the contemporaneous and inhibiting recollections though supporting the revival of old experiences.

6. This is an issue Freud had already mentioned in his text on the uncanny (1919, p. 238).

7. Heidegger uses this expression in relation to World War II. It is also the title of a novel by Joseph Conrad, 1902.

8. Book X, 8. Translated by E. B. Pusey.

9. When destiny is experienced as a malevolent force, incessant complaints and lamentations of patients in analysis signal the persistence of modes of previous relationships to parental figures.

10. This is why there is intense guilt concerning thoughts that children believe can affect reality, such as death wishes concerning persons of their immediate environment that may by chance be fulfilled because of an illness or an accident.

11. The all‐powerful father figure of the primal horde or the Egyptian pharaon Aton, presented as being the incarnation of the sun, provide some examples.

12. The incorporation of the god Dionysus in antiquity as denoted by the chorus of the women of Thebes in Euripides’ Bacchae , or in later times the ‘methexis’ in the holy communion, or even modes of participations in oracular speech – where the seer is an immediate quasi participator in the divine – provide examples of endeavours to surpass the inevitable human limits.

13. When Freud used for destiny the term ‘demonic’, he certainly was familiar with the discourse of Diotima in Plato's Symposium (202e–203) concerning the place and the role of demons as intermediates between man and deity.

14. Rosenberg (1991) observed that in the context of the life drive repetition conserves the old elements so that they may be integrated in the development of psychic life. In the context of the death drive, repetition tends to bring back to previous situations, distancing new acquisitions. The death drive tendencies are mostly expressed through fissures and in unbinding or in inertia concerning new cathexes, while the tendency for the psychic apparatus to return to the lowest possible level of excitations consumes energy in stereotypic activities.

15. Scarfone (2014) recently developed the two aspects of what is kept psychically active from the individual's past. Thus, what is an obstacle to symbolisation, can become an object of elaboration.

16. Neurobiological research confirms the antithetical character of repetitive processes via the cerebral learning / reward circuit.