Symbolization

Thinking is not possible without symbolization. The book reviews the phenomenon of symbol formation in terms of psychoanalytical approach. The main research revolves around pathology of early symbolization resulting from peculiarities of mother-child relationship. This includes the mother's excessive projective identification on the child's psyche, her insufficient containment function, narcissistic type of relations in dyad and many other factors that can result in extinction of the process of symbolization, the infant's strive for "primary possession", predominance of "magical thinking" and fetishization. W.Bion in his work "Elements of psychoanalysis" (1963) asserted: "I want to restore the myth ... to its place in our methods so that it can play the vitalizing part it has in history of psychoanalysis". Following the tradition of psychoanalytic research of myth necessary for further understanding of the development of symbolization the author refers to the myth of Medea and Jason, the myth of Pygmalion, the Legend of Don Juan and observes the beautiful story of Lewis Carroll about Alice in Wonderland.

Autorentext

Natalia Kholina was born in 1950, PhD, psychoanalyst (IPA, MPS), the Editor-in-chief of the Moscow Psychoanalytic society Bulletin; the author of scientific publications in the sphere of development of symbolization and psychoanalytical approach to myths.