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'Reverberation time', dreaming and the capacity to dream.
157 Wood Lane, Highgate, London N6 5UD, UK. dana.birksted-breen@dib.me.uk
The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
|February 28, 2009
Summary
The subjective sense of time originates from early mother-infant auditory exchanges, termed "reverberation time." This primitive temporal experience is crucial for psychic development and psychoanalytic healing.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychoanalysis
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- The subjective sense of time is fundamental to psychic experience.
- Disturbances in psychic time are characteristic of severe psychological pathologies.
- Understanding the origins of temporal perception is key to addressing these disturbances.
Observation:
- The author proposes 'reverberation time' as the root of subjective time development.
- This concept describes early mother-infant auditory exchanges.
- Clinical examples and literature support the role of these interactions in shaping temporal sense.
Findings:
- Subjective time develops from the reverberation between mother and infant.
- Disruptions in this process lead to pathological 'arresting' of time, particularly around developmental stages like the depressive and oedipal positions.
- Internalized reverberation is central to the experience of dreaming, viewed as an internal dialogue.
Implications:
- 'Reverberation time' forms the basis of psychoanalysis.
- It facilitates 'unfreezing' psychic time and integrating past and present experiences.
- Analyst's reverie acts as a catalyst for this process, promoting psychic flexibility.
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