Introduction to a Symposium: The God Representation in the Psychoanalytic Relationship: When is Three a Crowd?

Abstract

An introduction is presented to a symposium discussing the way in which the representation of the image of God can affect the analytic dialogue and process, focusing on the beliefs and images of the analyst as well as the analysand. If, as theorized, an image or a concept identified as "God" is an ineluctable element of the development of the human mind (whatever else this image may or may not mean theologically), then it would seem that the dynamic roots and potential of this kind of representation would find some expression in the countertransference dimension of analytic work. Contributors to the symposium were asked to offer detailed clinical material, paying special attention to their countertransference experiences in order to focus on the impact of religious imagery on their own "religiously oriented" internal experiences. Three questions were posed in order to conceptualize the clinical transaction in ways that could elucidate our research interests. It was not assumed that the symposium authors, or analysts in general, are formally religious, nor was this necessary to the task. The majority of the 14 authors identified themselves as currently religious; 4 were circumspect to one degree or another. Interestingly, the intensity of countertransference involvement on the level of personal religious experience varied throughout the group.

Addressing religion and spirituality in treatment from a psychodynamic perspective.

“…Nevertheless, the ghost of Freud made the full exploration of religion and spirituality a taboo in the minds of many analysts (Sorenson, 2004). Fortunately, that perspective is changing in both contemporary psychoanalytic theory building (e.g., Hoffman, 2011;Rizzuto, 2009;Spero & Cohen, 2009) and in practice. For example, in discussing the results of her study of U.S. training analysts, Bartoli (2003) noted changes in attitudes since Freud's time and concluded that the majority of the participants were "quite appreciative of the patient's religious involvement when it allowed for flexibility in its theological tenets and when it was growth-promoting for their patients" (p. 364).…”

Discussion of a Symposium: The God Representation in the Psychoanalytic Relationship: When is Three a Crowd?

“…We were interested in those experiences that did not emerge with ease, that are rare or completely novel, the surprising appearance at the periphery of consciousness of something uncanny yet all-too-familiar. 3 Obviously, our symposium required more than conscious compliance with the questions we posed (listed in the Introduction, Spero & Cohen, 2009). In essence, we were wondering whether our authors would be able to reveal themselves in the process of coming to grips with their own religious sentiments or imagery that surface during these moments of intensity and whether they would be able to distill the deeper relevance of their intuitions for the patient's unimagined realities.…”

“…In the discussion that follows, we shall explore whether the expectations we delineated in the introduction to this symposium (Spero & Cohen, 2009) were practicable and to what degree did they elucidate old problems or highlight new ideas.…”