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Related Experiment Videos

What alive means: On Winnicott's "transitional objects and transitional phenomena".

Thomas H Ogden1

  • 1Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, US.

The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
|July 22, 2021
PubMed
Summary

This study explores Winnicott's concept of transitional objects, proposing paradox as key to experiencing feelings as alive and real. Clinical work demonstrates how altering the analytic frame helps patients connect with genuine emotions.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychoanalysis
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Donald Winnicott's theory of transitional objects and phenomena is foundational in understanding early psychological development.
  • The concept addresses how individuals create a sense of aliveness and reality in their internal experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-examine Winnicott's "Transitional objects and transitional phenomena" through the lens of paradox.
  • To analyze Winnicott's evolved clinical practice and the concept of "the negative."
  • To illustrate how therapeutic interventions can facilitate the experience of "real" feelings.

Main Methods:

  • Close reading and conceptual analysis of Winnicott's seminal paper.
  • Examination of Winnicott's clinical illustrations, particularly the final version.
Keywords:
Alivenessdeadnessthe negativetransitional objectstransitional phenomena

Related Experiment Videos

  • Presentation of a clinical case study involving alteration of the analytic frame.

    • Main Results:

    • Paradox is identified as a core element in understanding transitional objects and phenomena.
    • Winnicott's concept of "the negative" describes a state where absence feels more real than presence.
    • Altering the analytic frame enabled a patient to experience feelings as genuinely alive and real.

    Conclusions:

    • The concept of paradox offers a valuable framework for understanding Winnicott's ideas on transitional phenomena.
    • Clinical practice can be enhanced by understanding and working with "the negative" state.
    • Therapeutic environments that allow for frame alteration can foster a patient's capacity for experiencing authentic emotions.