Beyond the Dynamic Unconscious: Some Thoughts on Expanding Psychoanalytic Clinical Work

Abstract: After some reflections on the intuitive unconscious that scientists employ, the focus of the first part of this article concerns the analytic method, based on associations and symbolic interpretations, as formulated by Freud and his most important followers. I see this as a valid method when used with patients we can ascribe to the neurotic area, but not with the more seriously ill, non-neurotic patients. This distinction does not particularly concern symptomatology, but a kind of unconscious functioning. When working with more seriously ill patients, such as those who have suffered infantile emotional trauma, or have a borderline or a psychotic disorder, analysts are confronted with more complex tasks. Considered here are functions of the mind outside awareness, the problem of non-representability, and several aspects of psychotic functioning. As the title states, this article goes beyond the dynamic unconscious to investigate areas of the mind that have not yet been systematically explored.