The oedipal conflicts of the analyst

A neglected dimension of the oedipus complex is the narcissistic aspect. The universal oedipal narcissistic injury linked to the developmental inadequacy of the child is crucially traversed only when optimal resolution of narcissistic cravings can be established. Rivalry with the parent of the same sex (the historic oedipus) is more visible than the profound oedipus linked to narcissistic injury. Failure to resolve the conflicts of the profound oedipus may have fateful consequences for the psychoanalyst himself. Some of the examples in this article are connected with the present situation of French psychoanalysis.