Plato's Ghost: Minus Links and Liminality in Psychoanalytic Practice

Psychoanalytic encounters are filled with the unknowability of two unconscious minds meeting, and the liminal area between the analyst and analysand is the space for growth, change, turbulence, impasse, bastion, and failure. Minus links share the quality of evading truth and inhibiting emotional growth, and blind spots may be enabled by analytic allegiance to particular schools, inability to forge a technique, complacencies of language, gaps between theoretical allegiance and technique, and unwillingness to get in touch with true experience. Nilofer Kaul's debut work questions the heart of analytic practice.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 246 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2021
Publisher: Phoenix Publishing House

Psychoanalytic encounters are a realm of profound unknowability, where the meeting of two unconscious minds sparks the potential for both profound connection and destructive forces. Within this intricate space, one can forge a bond that facilitates the process of meaning-making, unlocking the depths of the human psyche. However, it is also a realm that can descend into chaos, perversion, escape, regression, and stagnation. The delicate space between the analyst's mind and the analysand's is the liminal area of psychoanalysis, a realm of growth, change, turbulence, and impasse. It is a place where the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious blur, where new insights and transformative possibilities emerge.

Yet, this liminal space is also fraught with danger. Analytic links, the connections forged between analyst and analysand, are always teeming with potential pitfalls. These links can be characterized by a refusal to confront psychic pain, a tendency to evade emotional truth, and a stifling of emotional growth. Minus links, a term coined by Bion, share these qualities, as they too evade truth and hinder the capacity for emotional development and meaningful experience.

In the realm of psychoanalysis, blind spots are a common occurrence. These are areas of our consciousness where we are unable to see or acknowledge certain aspects of our experience, often due to our allegiance to particular schools of thought, our inability to develop a flexible technique in the face of the complex protomental apparatus, the complacencies of language, gaps between our theoretical beliefs and our practical approach, and our resistance to connect with our authentic experiences. These blind spots can lead to arrogance, a lack of empathy, and a failure to truly understand the complexities of the human psyche.

To navigate these treacherous waters, it may be helpful to chronicle our quotidian failures. By acknowledging and examining our shortcomings, we can gain valuable insights into our limitations and areas for growth. This process of self-reflection can help us to develop a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of ourselves and our clients, fostering a deeper and more effective analytic practice.

In her debut work, Nilofer Kaul delves into these liminal moments and explores the complex reasons behind them. Through vivid and compelling storytelling, Kaul challenges the very heart of analytic practice, asking us to confront our blind spots, develop a more flexible and nuanced approach, and embrace the fullness of our human experience. Psychoanalytic encounters are a delicate dance between the conscious and unconscious, a space where the potential for transformation and growth is immense. By navigating the complexities of analytic links and confronting our blind spots, we can cultivate a practice that is both profound and meaningful, helping us to unlock the secrets of the human psyche and to assist our clients in achieving greater emotional well-being.

Weight: 424g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781912691975