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This seminar considers how the conflicts that are aroused around the birth of a new baby inform us about the origins of thinking processes. Material from both infant observation (Negri & Harris) and phantasies about birth from the baby’s point of view (Bion and Meltzer) are included in the discussion.

This seminar considers some examples in children of how false or substitute containment can be related to psychosomatic symptoms and how this relates to Bion’s concept of both positive and negative transformations – that is, symbol formation and its failure.

Film with Donald Meltzer: the aestetic conflict. Meltzer uses the term «the aestetic conflict» to give name to a basic conflict which is linked to the extent to which one is open to the beautiful and good in the world. He sees this as absolutely fundamental when it comes to mental functioning. Meltzer links it to how the infant can endure the frustration that it entails – after first being completely surrounded by the good, then experiencing that the situation changes when the good disappears – and still being able to accept it when it presents itself again – dare to be open to the good again. In this film we will have the opportunity to listen and see him presenting these terms, himself
Meg Harris will talk to us about Endoskeleton and exoskeleton: In the light of Martha Harris’s vision of growth-points in psychoanalysis itself, we consider Bion’s differentiation between psychic exoskeletons and endoskeletons, Bick’s second skin, Meltzer’s adhesive identification, and Money-Kyrle’s analysis of the difficulties in progressing from preconception to conception.