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The transformational object.

C Bollas

    The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
    |January 1, 1979
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    The earliest infant experiences of the maternal object as a process, termed the transformational object, shape adult desires for new experiences. Psychoanalytic settings can evoke these early object relations, influencing patient expectations of the analyst.

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    Area of Science:

    • Psychoanalytic theory
    • Developmental psychology
    • Cultural analysis

    Background:

    • The infant's primary experience of the "object" is as a process, not a static entity.
    • This early object is perceptually identified with the maternal figure and its transformative effects on the infant's psyche.
    • This foundational experience shapes the adult's unconscious memory and quest for transformational objects.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To define the "transformational object" as the infant's earliest experience of the object as process.
    • To link this concept to adult object-seeking behaviors and cultural phenomena.
    • To understand the role of the psychoanalytic setting in accessing these early object relations.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of psychoanalytic patient material, particularly those exhibiting intense object seeking.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of Western cultural patterns related to object acquisition and experience.
  • Theoretical exploration of infant development and ego integration.

    • Main Results:

    • The "transformational object" is identified with the infant's subjective experience of psycho-somatic transformation and ego alterations.
    • Adults unconsciously seek "transformational objects" (partners, work, beliefs) to recapture this early affective memory.
    • Aesthetic moments provide vivid recollections of the earliest object relation.

    Conclusions:

    • The psychoanalytic setting facilitates regression, allowing patients to access and re-experience the earliest object relation.
    • Patients' expectations of the analyst as a "transformational" figure may stem from this regressive process, not solely resistance.
    • Understanding the "transformational object" is crucial for psychoanalysts to interpret patient behavior within the therapeutic space.