Reverie and Interpretation: Sensing Something Human

Citation preview

O t h e r Books by T h o m a s O g d e n

Projective

Identification

and

Psychotherapeutic

Technique The Matrix ofthe Mind: Object Psychoanalytic Dialogue The Primitive Subjects

of

Edge of Analysis

Relations

Experience

and

the

R e v e r i e

a n d

I n t e r p r e t a t i o n

Sensing

Something

THOMAS

H .

OGDEN,

Human

M . D .

v

V-

o \ JASON A R O N S O N INC. Northvale, New Jersey London

S

t

9

. # 3 3 / ? 9 7

Certain chapters in this book are based on prior publications ofthe author. He gratefully acknowledges permission from the following journals to reprint this previously published material. Chapter 2: "Analysing Forms of Aliveness and Deadness of the TransferenceCountertransference," International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 76:695-709, 1995 (Copyright © Institute of Psycho-Analysis). Chapter 3: "The Perverse Subject of Analysis, "Journal ofthe American Psychoanalytic Association, 44:1121-1146, 1996 (Copyright © The American Psychoanalytic Association). Chapters 4 and 5: "Reconsidering Three Aspects of Psychoanalytic Technique," The International Journal ofPsycho-Analysis, 77:883-899, 1996 (Copyright© Institute of Psycho-Analysis). Chapter 6: "Reverie and Interpretation," The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 66:567-595, 1997 (Copyright © The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, Inc.). Chapter 7; "Some Thoughts on the Use of Language in Psychoanalysis," Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 7:1-21, 1997 (Copyright© The Analytic Press). Chapter 8: "Listening: Three Frost Poems," Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 7:619-639, 1997 (Copyright © The Analytic Press). The author also gratefully acknowledges permission to reprint: - in Chapter 2, the poem from yorg-e Luis Borges Selected Poems 1923-1967 by Jorge Luis Borges. Copyright © 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 by Jorge Luis Borges, Emece Editores, S.A. and Norman Thomas DiGiovanni. Used by permission of Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. - in Chapter 8, the poems from The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Lathem. Copyright 1941, 1942 by Robert Frost. © 1970 by Lesley Frost Ballantine. © 1969 by Henry Holt & Co., Inc. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt & Co., Inc. Director of Editorial Production: Robert D. Hack This book was set in 12 pt. New Baskerville byFASTpages of Nanuet, NY. Copyright © 1997 by Thomas H. Ogden. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 AUrightsreserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from Jason Aronson Inc. except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ogden, Thomas H. Reverie and interpretation: sensing something human / Thomas H. Ogden. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7657-0076-X I. Psychoanalysis. 2. Psychoanalytic interpretation. I. Tide. RC509.O33 1997 616.89'17—dc21 97-9833 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. For information and catalog write to Jason Aronson Inc., 230 Livingston Street, Northvale, New Jersey 07647-1726. Or visit our website: http://www.aronson.com

In memory

of Jane

Hewitt,

whose vitality and love so Fierce and so that I will never know

were

tender their like

again

C

o

n

t e n

t s

1

O n t h e A r t o f Psychoanalysis

1

2

A n a l y z i n g F o r m s of Aliveness a n d D e a d n e s s

21

3

T h e P e r v e r s e S u b j e c t of Analysis

65

4

Privacy, R e v e r i e , a n d Analytic T e c h n i q u e

105

5

D r e a m Associations

135

6

Reverie a n d Interpretation

155

7

O n t h e U s e of L a n g u a g e i n Psychoanalysis

199

8

Listening: T h r e e Frost P o e m s

233

References

265

Index

277

Sitting in that chair, rocking a n d gazing at the wallpaper, o n e seemed to t u r n into a m e r e tangle of rising a n d falling t e n d r i l s t h a t w o u l d g r o w w i t h i n a c o u p l e of s e c o n d s f r o m n o t h i n g n e s s t o t h e i r full size a n d t h e n as r a p i d l y disappear into themselves again. R o b e r t Musil, Five Women,

1924

1 O n

t h e A r t

of

Psychoanalysis

W o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s , like p e o p l e , m u s t b e a l l o w e d a certain slippage. I d o n o t m e a n to suggest that words, s e n t e n c e s ( a n d h u m a n b e i n g s ) c a n b e said t o m e a n ( o r b e ) a n y t h i n g w e wish t h e m t o m e a n ( o r b e ) . R a t h e r , I a m d r a w i n g a t t e n t i o n t o t h e stifling effect o n i m a g i n a t i o n o f o u r efforts t o d e f i n e , t o specify w i t h e v e r i n c r e a s i n g p r e c i s i o n , w h a t w e m e a n ( w h o we a r e ) . I m a g i n a t i o n d e p e n d s o n t h e p l a y o f possibilities. I n this v o l u m e , w o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s a t t h e i r b e s t will b e o n l y l o o s e l y " f a s t e n e d t o t h e p a g e " ( F r o s t 1929, p . 7 1 3 ) . I will u s e w o r d s s u c h as "aliveness" a n d " d e a d n e s s , " " h u m a n " a n d " p e r v e r s e , " " s i n c e r e " a n d " i n a u t h e n t i c " w i t h o u t defini n g t h e m e x c e p t — a n d this is a l a r g e e x c e p t i o n — e x c e p t i n t h e way t h e y a r e u s e d i n s e n t e n c e s . I will a t d i f f e r e n t t i m e s u s e t h e w o r d s " e m p t y , " " s t a g n a n t , " "stale" a n d " s t i l l b o r n " t o talk a b o u t a n e x p e r i e n c e o f e m o t i o n a l d e a d n e s s . T h e r e a d e r m i g h t r e a s o n a b l y ask, " W h i c h o f

Reverie and Interpretation t h e s e f e e l i n g s o r states, if any, d o e s O g d e n h a v e i n m i n d w h e n h e speaks of e m o t i o n a l deadness? Moreo v e r , i s n ' t t h e very i d e a o f t h e experience of e m o t i o n a l d e a d n e s s a n o x y m o r o n ? " I will ask t h e r e a d e r t o allow m e ( a n d h i m s e l f ) r o o m in w h i c h a s e n s e of e m p t i n e s s m i g h t s l i d e i n t o a f e e l i n g of d e a d n e s s , a n d t h e n i n t o a d e a d n e s s of feeling, a n d t h e n b a c k again i n t o a n e x p e r i e n c e o f e m p t i n e s s , p i c k i n g u p s h a d i n g s of m e a n i n g a l o n g t h e way. I t is i m p o r t a n t t h a t w o r d s b e u s e d ( a n d r e a d ) in a way t h a t allows t h e i r a c c r u e d m e a n i n g s t o b e a l t e r e d by ( a n d t o affect) e a c h n e w e m o t i o n a l c o n t e x t in which they are spoken or written or read. It has increasingly s e e m e d to m e that t h e sense of aliveness a n d d e a d n e s s o f a g i v e n m o m e n t o f a n a n a lytic h o u r is p e r h a p s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t g a u g e of t h e analytic process. T h e a t t e m p t to use l a n g u a g e to capt u r e / c o n v e y a s e n s e o f this d e l i c a t e i n t e r p l a y o f aliven e s s a n d d e a d n e s s of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e a n a l y t i c setting represents a major challenge to contemporary p s y c h o a n a l y s i s a n d will b e a c e n t r a l c o n c e r n o f t h i s b o o k . A l t h o u g h this facet' of t h e analytic e x p e r i e n c e will n o t o c c u p y t h e f o r e g r o u n d o f e a c h c h a p t e r , it is m y h o p e t h a t it will b e felt t o lie in t h e w i n g s o f virtually every s e n t e n c e . In a t t e m p t i n g to capture s o m e t h i n g of t h e experie n c e o f b e i n g alive i n w o r d s , t h e w o r d s t h e m s e l v e s m u s t b e alive. W o r d s , w h e n t h e y a r e living a n d b r e a t h i n g , a r e like m u s i c a l c h o r d s . T h e full r e s o n a n c e o f t h e c h o r d o r p h r a s e m u s t b e a l l o w e d t o b e h e a r d i n all o f its s u g g e s tive i m p r e c i s i o n . W e m u s t a t t e m p t in o u r u s e o f lan-

On the Art of Psychoanalysis g u a g e , b o t h i n o u r t h e o r y - m a k i n g a n d in o u r analytic p r a c t i c e , t o b e m a k e r s of m u s i c , r a t h e r t h a n p l a y e r s of n o t e s . T o t h a t e n d , we h a v e little c h o i c e b u t t o a c c e p t t h a t a w o r d o r a s e n t e n c e is n o t a still p o i n t of m e a n i n g a n d will n o t s o u n d t h e s a m e o r m e a n t h e s a m e t h i n g a m o m e n t l a t e r . W h e n a p a t i e n t asks m e t o r e p e a t w h a t I h a v e j u s t said, I m a y tell h i m s o m e t h i n g t o t h e effect t h a t I c a n n o t s i n c e t h a t m o m e n t is g o n e . I a d d t h a t h e a n d I m i g h t try t o say s o m e t h i n g t h a t takes as its starting p o i n t his feeling a b o u t w h a t has j u s t o c c u r r e d . W o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s , like p e o p l e , a r e f o r e v e r i n m o t i o n . T h e a t t e m p t t o fix t h e m e a n i n g s of w o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s t u r n s t h e m i n t o lifeless effigies, i m m o b i l e s t a i n e d cells p r e s e r v e d o n l a b o r a t o r y slides t h a t a r e o n l y b a r e l y s u g g e s t i v e of t h e living tissue f r o m w h i c h t h e y c a m e . W h e n t h e l a n g u a g e o f analyst o r a n a l y s a n d b e c o m e s s t a g n a n t , it is n o l o n g e r o f a n y u s e in t h e task o f c o n v e y i n g a s e n s e o f living h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e . W h a t I a s p i r e t o i n t h e u s e o f l a n g u a g e in t h e analytic dial o g u e is c a p t u r e d i n A.R. A m n i o n s ' ( 1 9 6 8 ) c o m p a r i s o n o f living l a n g u a g e i n p o e t r y t o a walk: "A walk involves t h e w h o l e p e r s o n ; it is n o t r e p r o d u c i b l e ; its s h a p e o c c u r s , u n f o l d s ; it h a s a m o t i o n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e w a l k e r " (p. 1 1 8 ) . W h a t it m e a n s t o b r i n g a p e r s o n , a f e e l i n g , a n i d e a , t o life i n w r i t i n g is t o b e f o u n d i n t h e reader's experience of reading or hearing t h e w o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s b e i n g said ( w r i t t e n ) by t h e w r i t e r . T h i s is t h e c h a l l e n g e o f all l i t e r a t u r e a n d o f all analytic w r i t i n g s i n c e b o t h a r e f u n d a m e n t a l l y c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e task o f u s i n g Ian-

Reverie and Interpretation g u a g e t o c a p t u r e s o m e t h i n g of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e . If we as r e a d e r s c a n n o t s e n s e s o m e t h i n g h u m a n , h o w e v e r faint, in t h e e x p e r i e n c e of r e a d i n g a n analytic p a p e r , a p o e m , a n essay, o r a n o v e l , t h e n w e c o m e away e m p t y h a n d e d . T h e w o r k of t h e a n a l y t i c w r i t e r , like t h e w r i t e r o f p o e t r y o r fiction, b e g i n s a n d e n d s w i t h h i s effort t o c r e a t e in t h e l a n g u a g e t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f h u m a n aliveness. If a n a n a l y t i c w r i t e r c o n t e n t s h i m s e l f w i t h t a l k i n g " a b o u t " aliveness o r d e a d n e s s ( t h a t "stolid w o r d abouf [ W m . J a m e s 1890, p . 2 4 6 ] ) , h i s efforts will c e r t a i n l y b e i n v a i n . T h i s b o o k , if it is t o a c h i e v e a n y t h i n g o f its g o a l of c a p t u r i n g s o m e t h i n g of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e in t h e a n a l y t i c s e t t i n g , m u s t a t t e m p t a t all t i m e s t o b e a n e x p e r i m e n t i n w h i c h t h e w r i t e r i n t h e a c t of w r i t i n g a n d t h e r e a d e r i n t h e a c t of r e a d i n g experiences a sense of aliveness t h a t exists i n t h e l a n g u a g e b e i n g u s e d . T h i s b o o k will b e o f v a l u e i n t h e s e n s e I a m d e s c r i b i n g t o t h e extent that the reader now a n d again has the experie n c e o f feeling w h a t aliveness is i n w h a t it feels like t o r e a d t h e s e n t e n c e s , o r as F r o s t ( 1 9 6 2 ) l i k e d t o p u t it, " t o say t h e l i n e s " (p. 9 1 1 ) . T h e r e a d e r m u s t d o a t least h a l f t h e w o r k in g a i n i n g f r o m t h e l a n g u a g e o f this b o o k a s e n s e of w h a t it is t o b e alive. " T h e p r o c e s s o f r e a d i n g is n o t a half-sleep, but, in highest sense, an exercise, a gymnast's struggle. . . . T h e r e a d e r is t o d o s o m e t h i n g f o r h i m s e l f , m u s t b e o n t h e alert, m u s t himself or herself instruct i n d e e d t h e p o e m , a r g u m e n t , history, m e t a p h y s i c a l e s s a y — t h e t e x t furnishing t h e hints, the clue, t h e start or framework" ( W h i t m a n 1871, p . 9 9 2 ) . T h e b l a c k a n d w h i t e s h a p e s

On the Art of Psychoanalysis o n the page a n d the white space that surrounds those m a r k i n g s are inert. T h e r e a d e r m u s t d o s o m e t h i n g with t h e m . H e m u s t actively, e v e n p a s s i o n a t e l y , e n g a g e w i t h the words in the act of using himself to create somet h i n g h u m a n of h i s o w n , in his o w n t e r m s . After all, w h a t terms, o t h e r t h a n o n e ' s own, are t h e r e with which t o c r e a t e a n e x p e r i e n c e t h a t is h u m a n ? A m o n g the m o s t astute c o m m e n t s c o n c e r n i n g what it m e a n s for a n analysis t o b e alive h a s c o m e (as o n e m i g h t e x p e c t ) , n o t f r o m a n analyst, b u t f r o m a novelist a n d essayist, s p e a k i n g in 1 8 8 4 a b o u t t h e a r t of fiction: T h e g o o d h e a l t h of a n art which u n d e r t a k e s to r e p r o d u c e life m u s t d e m a n d t h a t it b e p e r f e c t l y free; I t lives u p o n e x e r c i s e a n d t h e very m e a n i n g o f e x e r c i s e is f r e e d o m . T h e o n l y o b l i g a t i o n t o w h i c h i n a d v a n c e we m a y h o l d a n o v e l , w i t h o u t i n c u r r i n g t h e a c c u s a t i o n o f b e i n g a r b i t r a r y , is t h a t it b e i n t e r e s t i n g . [ H e n r y J a m e s 1884, p . 4 9 ] J a m e s ' s t a t e m e n t a b o u t t h e n o v e l ( a n d implicitly a b o u t t h e relationship of writer a n d r e a d e r ) h a s import a n t r e l e v a n c e t o t h e a r t of psychoanalysis a n d t o t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p of analyst a n d a n a l y s a n d . T h e i d e a t h a t a b o v e all a n analysis m u s t b e i n t e r e s t i n g is for m e b o t h self-evident a n d a r e v o l u t i o n ary c o n c e p t i o n (cf. Phillips 1 9 9 6 ) . T o b e i n t e r e s t i n g , t h e analysis m u s t b e free t o " e x e r c i s e , " t o s h a p e itself a n d b e g i v e n s h a p e i n a n y way t h a t t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s a r e a b l e t o i n v e n t . T h e f r e e d o m t o " e x e r c i s e " is t h e free-

Reverie and Interpretation d o m t o e x p e r i m e n t : "Art lives u p o n d i s c u s s i o n , u p o n e x p e r i m e n t , u p o n curiosity, u p o n variety o f a t t e m p t , u p o n t h e e x c h a n g e o f views a n d t h e c o m p a r i s o n o f s t a n d p o i n t s " ( H . J a m e s 1884, p p . 44-45). W h e n t h e analysis is alive, it u n s e l f c o n s c i o u s l y m a n a g e s f o r p e r i o d s o f t i m e t o b e a n e x p e r i m e n t t h a t h a s left t h e well c h a r t e d w a t e r s o f p r e s c r i b e d f o r m ; it is a d i s c u s s i o n f u e l e d by curiosity a n d by variety o f a t t e m p t ; it is a n e n d e a v o r that d e p e n d s u p o n g e n u i n e e x c h a n g e of views a n d c o m p a r i s o n o f s t a n d p o i n t s . Analysis t h a t h a s b e c o m e a r o u t i n i z e d f o r m in w h i c h " k n o w l e d g e " is c o n v e y e d f r o m analyst t o a n a l y s a n d is u n i n t e r e s t i n g ; it is n o l o n g e r a n e x p e r i m e n t s i n c e t h e a n s w e r s , a t least in b r o a d outline, are known from t h e outset. T h e form of a n o v e l a n d o f a n analysis m u s t n o t b e p r e - s c r i b e d . T o d o s o is t o f o r e c l o s e e x p e r i m e n t : T h e f o r m , it s e e m s to m e , is t o b e a p p r e c i a t e d after t h e fact: t h e n t h e a u t h o r ' s c h o i c e h a s b e e n m a d e . . . ; t h e n we c a n follow lines a n d d i r e c t i o n s T h e exec u t i o n b e l o n g s to t h e a u t h o r a l o n e ; it is w h a t is m o s t p e r s o n a l t o h i m , a n d we m e a s u r e h i m by t h a t T h e a d v a n t a g e , t h e luxury, as well as t h e t o r m e n t a n d responsibility of a novelist is t h a t t h e r e is n o limit t o w h a t h e m a y a t t e m p t as a n e x e c u t a n t — n o limit t o his possible e x p e r i m e n t s , efforts, discoveries, successes. [ H . J a m e s 1884, p . 50] As is t h e case with t h e novel, t h e f o r m o f a n analysis c a n o n l y b e a p p r e c i a t e d in h i n d s i g h t . F o r e x a m p l e , a n

On the Art of Psychoanalysis analyst d o e s n o t p l a n t o play a r o l e in a p e r v e r s e s c e n e in a n analytic r e l a t i o n s h i p . T h e "script" o r f o r m of t h e p e r v e r s e s c e n a r i o is a r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e a n a l y s a n d ' s i n t e r n a l o b j e c t w o r l d a n d is given s h a p e as a n u n c o n s c i o u s i n t e r subjective c o n s t r u c t i o n of analyst a n d a n a l y s a n d . U n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e m e a n i n g s of t h e f o r m is a l m o s t always r e t r o s p e c t i v e a n d this f o r m is i n d e e d w h a t is m o s t p e r s o n a l t o its a u t h o r s . W e ask a g r e a t d e a l o f ourselves as analysts a n d as a n a l y s a n d s in d e m a n d i n g t h a t we n o t rely o n "pre-scribed" form, that we a t t e m p t to b e o p e n to e x p e r i m e n t : " T h e r e is n o limit [in r a n g e , i n t e n s i t y a n d c o m p l e x i t y of feeling a n d t h o u g h t ] to w h a t h e [analyst o r a n a l y s a n d ] m a y a t t e m p t . " M o r e o v e r , we ask o f o u r selves t h a t we b e u n c o n s c i o u s l y available t o b e subjects i n t h e u n c o n s c i o u s e x p e r i m e n t o f t h e o t h e r . W e as analysts a t t e m p t t o r e n d e r ourselves u n c o n s c i o u s l y r e c e p t i v e , t o b e i n g m a d e u s e o f i n p l a y i n g a variety o f roles i n t h e u n c o n s c i o u s life of t h e a n a l y s a n d . U n c o n s c i o u s receptivity o f this s o r t ( B i o n ' s [ 1 9 6 2 a ] state of "reverie") involves (a p a r t i a l ) giving o v e r o f o n e ' s s e p a r a t e individuality t o a t h i r d subject, a s u b j e c t t h a t is n e i t h e r analyst n o r a n a l y s a n d b u t a t h i r d subjectivity u n c o n s c i o u s l y g e n e r a t e d by t h e analytic p a i r ( O g d e n 1 9 9 4 a ) . T o consistently offer o n e s e l f i n this way is n o small m a t t e r : it r e p r e s e n t s a n e m o t i o n a l l y d r a i n i n g u n d e r t a k i n g in w h i c h analyst a n d a n a l y s a n d e a c h t o a d e g r e e "loses his m i n d " (his capacity t o t h i n k a n d c r e a t e e x p e r i e n c e as a distinctly separate individual). It is o n l y i n t h e p r o c e s s o f t e r m i n a t i n g a n analysis t h a t analyst a n d analysand "retrieve" their separate

10

Reverie and Interpretation

m i n d s , b u t t h e m i n d s "retrieved" are n o t t h e m i n d s of t h e individuals w h o h a d e n t e r e d into t h e analytic experience. T h o s e i n d i v i d u a l s n o l o n g e r exist. T h e analyst a n d a n a l y s a n d t h a t a r e " r e t r i e v e d " as s e p a r a t e i n d i v i d u als a r e t h e m s e l v e s in s i g n i f i c a n t ways n e w p s y c h o l o g i c a l e n t i t i e s h a v i n g b e e n c r e a t e d / c h a n g e d by t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e in a n d o f t h e third analytic subject ("the subject of analysis"). T h e analysand's e x p e r i e n c e of t h e d e a t h of t h e a n a l y s t p r i o r t o t h e p l a n n e d e n d i n g o f a fruitful analysis 1 r e p r e s e n t s n o t o n l y a n e x p e r i e n c e o f e n o r m o u s p e r s o n a l loss, b u t , as i m p o r t a n t , a n e x p e r i e n c e o f a t y p e of insanity. T h e analyst's d e a t h f o r e c l o s e s f o r the a n a l y s a n d t h e possibility o f fully r e t r i e v i n g h i s m i n d (a m i n d t h a t h a s n o t b e e n exclusively h i s o w n p e r s o n a l possession for s o m e time). T h e aspect of m i n d t h a t has (in p a r t ) b e e n "lost" is t h e m i n d t h a t h a s b e e n g e n e r a t e d a n d d e v e l o p e d i n t e r s u b j e c t i v e l y . It is a m i n d t h a t c a n b e a p p r o p r i a t e d by t h e a n a l y s a n d o n l y g r a d u a l l y i n t h e course of a n u n i n t e r r u p t e d analytic e x p e r i e n c e . T h e d e a t h of t h e analyst r e p r e s e n t s a v i o l e n t d i s r u p t i o n o f " t h e p l a c e w h e r e [ t h e a n a l y s a n d ] lives" ( W i n n i c o t t 1971a). T h e (impossible) responsibility o f t h e analyst t o stay alive f o r t h e e n t i r e t y o f t h e analysis is a h e a v y o n e a n d c o n s t i t u t e s o n e of t h e s t r a i n s o f t h e p r o f e s s i o n

1. The idea of a "fruitful" analysis is to be differentiated from the illusory conception of a "completed" analysis that has been brought to a successful termination after the transference conflicts and distortions have been successfully "resolved."