Main description:

This collection of papers from the 2014 International Bion Conference is dedicated to open inquiry and learning which is reflected in the theme -Psych'O'analysis: explorations in truth which focuses on Bion's concept of 'O' and the central place he gave it in clinical work. Each paper is a unique offering of theoretical thought and clinical experience using 'O' as the nodal point. The present volume expands on the theme of "O" in a variety of fields of study, such as Neuroscience, early mother-infant interaction, the construction of the primordial mind, gender and identity formation, and the role and place of the Psychoanalyst's Imagination. Clinical applications as well, such as working with hysterical patients; synthesizing the work of Wilfred Bion, Jacques Lacan, and Andre Green; and working with patients with pre and post-natal catastrophic traumas, the concept of the unrepressed and its implications in the transference, and regression in the work of Bion and Winnicot-all from the lens of "O." All of these diverse perspectives are designed to give voice to the mystery and power of the experiential realm of 'O', as well as to the controversy and confusion it may evoke.