Reflections on symbolism inspired by Donald Meltzer’s perspective
Keywords:
Progressions informal qualities, Symbolism, Transformations, Cassirer, Clinical illustrationAbstract
The text addresses the intersection of psychoanalysis, philosophy, and art to explore symbolism in the human mind. Analyzing Meltzer's contributions, the authors highlight the importance of dreams and images as crucial elements in the process of symbolization, linking them with philosophical theories of Ernst Cassirer, Susanne Langer, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, in addition to the psychoanalysis of Bion. The authors discuss how Meltzer sees symbolic forms as essential for capturing emotional experiences and intimate feelings, proposing a view where the unconscious is seen as a field of potential experiences and not merely a reservoir of repressed content. They introduce the concept of symbolic form as the basis of mental life, articulating the conscious and the unconscious, and highlight the mobility of the barrier between these spheres. The article also focuses on the idea of representation and the duality of presentational versus discursive symbolism, arguing that expressiveness and the ability to evoke affections are fundamental in affective development and psychic elaboration. Finally, they illustrate their theoretical concepts with the case of a patient, exploring how his dreams reflect his internal processes and interaction with the therapist, emphasizing the complexity of symbolic work in psychoanalysis.
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