THE ROLE OF THE OBJECT IN THE PROCESS OF SYMBOLISING UNCONSCIOUS LOSS

Abstract

Abstract. In the paper, the author emphasizes the role of the object in the process of symbolizing unconscious loss in the context of psychoanalytic practice. In the introduction, the author emphasizes the importance of this issue for understanding the complex processes of psychic reconstruction and their application in analytical work. The author notes that the role of the object in both the formation of inner absence and its overcoming is an important aspect in the works of psychoanalysts of different time periods. For example, in his work ‘Mourning and Melancholy” (Freud, 1917), Freud emphasizes the difference between sorrow and melancholy, associating it with the loss of an object and the loss of the self. Other researchers, such as Melanie Klein (Klein 1959, 2011) and Donald Winnicott (Winnicott, 1960, 1991, 2018), emphasize the importance of attachment to the primary object in shaping the subject’s mental experience. The works by Françoise Dolto (Dolto, 1998, 2002) and Victor Frankl (Frankl, 1967, 1984) are focused on symbolizing the absence and search for meaning in life. Rene Roussillon, while studying the impact of early traumas on the psyche, emphasizes the importance of reconstructing historical traumas by the analyst to understand their influence on the patient’s psychic organization, even if these traumas are not consciously recognized by the patient; they still affect them, “getting lost” in the unconscious (Roussillon, 2005, 2012). In searching for an answer to the question of the meaning of unconscious loss, the author considers the concept of the “dead mother” introduced by Green (1993) as a metaphor for the depressed mother and the impact on the child’s emotional development. The author also explores the ideas proposed by Andre Green (Green, 1975), emphasizing the importance of symbolizing what never happened – non-represented. The main focus of the paper is on the analyst’s internal changes and their impact on the patient, as well as on the problem of indications for analysis. The author accentuates the importance of the analytical setting and the creation of conditions for the formation of an analytical object through the symbolization of inner absence. The final part of the paper emphasizes the relevance of further research on this issue for the development of psychoanalytic practice and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of unconscious loss.