Abstract

SALVITTI, Adriana. The dawn of symbolization: Bion's early contributions to a theory of observation and of primitive thought. Rev. bras. psicanál [online]. 2011, vol.45, n.2, pp.127-138. ISSN 0486-641X.

In the 1950s, Bion published articles, dedicated to the clinical aspects of psychosis, that are known for showing the pertinence, grasp and possible developments of Melanie Klein's concepts. Although Bion placed his emphasis on the pathological processes of the paranoid-schizoid position, he also noted the existence of processes participating in the beginnings of symbolization in this position. He described the psychotic personality's attempts to restore the damaged ego, along with the communicative use of the projective identification. This theoretical contribution was accompanied by a clinical approach that formed an outline of the author's discussions in regards to the psychoanalytical method over subsequent decades, especially regarding the importance of observations on behalf of the analyst about the nature of the phenomena and of the analyst's thinking about their significance as they occur.

Keywords : psychotic personality; projective identification; ideogram; pre-verbal thought; psychoanalytic observation.

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