"Written by pioneering analyst and creative thinker, James Grotstein, A Beam of Intense Darkness offers a thorough overview and illuminating insight into the often complex work of W. R. Bion. This psychoanalytic classic sees Grotstein introduce over 30 key Bionian theories, comprehensively explaining them to the reader before offering his own insight and commentary. Grotstein first encountered Bion as his analysand and, later, as his friend. This book offers a level of insight only possible through such a close relationship, and offers a dialogue between Bion and Grotstein as they delve into the inner workings of the human psyche. Throughout, Grotstein offers his own original thoughts on topics such as projective transidentification, transcendent position and the truth drive. With a new introduction from Nicola Abel-Hirsch, this book is an essential read for anyone interested in Bion's work and legacy"--
Written by pioneering analyst and creative thinker, James Grotstein, A Beam of Intense Darkness offers a thorough overview and illuminating insight into the often complex work of W. R. Bion.
Written by pioneering analyst and creative thinker, James Grotstein, A Beam of Intense Darkness offers a thorough overview and illuminating insight into the often-complex work of W. R. Bion.
This psychoanalytic classic sees Grotstein introduce over 30 key Bionian theories, comprehensively explaining them to the reader before offering his own insight and commentary. Grotstein first encountered Bion as his analysand and, later, as his friend. This book offers a level of insight only possible through such a close relationship, and offers a dialogue between Bion and Grotstein as they delve into the inner workings of the human psyche. Throughout, Grotstein offers his own original thoughts on topics such as projective transidentification, transcendent position and the truth drive.
With a new introduction from Nicola Abel-Hirsch, this book is an essential read for anyone interested in Bions work and legacy.
1. An introduction
2. What kind of analyst was Bion?
3. What kind of
person was Bion?
4. Bion's vision
5. Bion's legacy
6. Bion's metatheory
7.
Bion on technique
8. Clinical vignette encompassing Bion's technical ideas
9.
Bion, the mathematician, the mystic, the psychoanalyst
10. The "Language of
Achievement"
11. Bion's discovery of O
12. The concept of the "transcendent
position"
13. The quest for the truth, Part A: the "truth drive" as the
hidden order of Bion's metatheory for psychoanalysis
14. The quest for truth,
Part B: curiosity about the truth as the "seventh servant"
15. Lies, "lies,"
and falsehoods
16. The container and the contained
17. "Projective
transidentification": an extension of the concept of projective
identification
18. Bion's work with groups
19. Bion's studies in psychosis
20. Transformations
21. Learning from experience
22. Points, lines, and
circles
23. The Grid
24. Fetal mental life and its caesura with postnatal
mental life
25. What does it mean to dream?" Bion's theory of dreaming
26.
Dreaming, phantasying, and the "truth intellect"
27. "Become"
28. P-S to D
29. L, H, and passion
30. Faith
31. Bion's discovery of zero ("no-thing")
32.
Epilogue
James Grotstein, M.D. (19252015) was clinical professor of psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, and training and supervising analyst at the New Center for Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalytic Center of California, Los Angeles. He was on the editorial board of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and past North American vice-president of the International Psychoanalytical Association. A world-renowned and prolific contributor to psychoanalytic literature, he is considered one of the foremost scholars and elucidators of the work of Wilfred Bion, who was also his analyst.
More info about Taylor & Francis e-books