Velikanova L.V. The Place of Symbolization in the Psychoanalytic Model of Thinking: Verbal and Pre-Verbal Aspects
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/lp.jvolsu.2021.3.9
Larisa V. Velikanova
Private Psychoanalyst
Ruzovskaya St, 31, Office 407, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7265-6880
Abstract. The article describes the process of symbol formation from the point of view of psychoanalytic theory. The author considers verbal and pre-verbal thinking and connects these two types with the process of symbol formation. The model of thinking proposed by W. Bion is taken as a foundation. The subject's ability to symbolize is characterized as inherent in a developed mental apparatus with a verbal type of thinking. Thinking is understood as the process of formation of mental elements from the processed somatic experience. Through the concept of object relations the author shows the difference in the functioning of thinking in a paranoid-schizoid and depressive position. The author introduces the concept of containerization and clarifies the difference between the mechanisms of normal and pathological projective identification, which the subject uses in a paranoid-schizoid position instead of repression. It is pointed out that the excessive use of pathological projective identification makes it impossible to develop thinking and symbol formation. The author defines the ability of the subject to endure frustration as the primary condition for the development of thinking. The secondary is the successful communication between a mother and an infant contributing to the infant's introjection of the maternal alpha function. This allows the mental apparatus to develop and makes it possible to acquire verbal thinking, to transit to a depressive position and to use symbols as products of mature symbol formation. The symbol is understood as a verbal form for somatic experiences, while the symbol does not have the characteristics of the original object. The author demonstrates, that in the early stages of development, the subject does not use the symbolization inherent in verbal thinking, but symbolic equalization, in which no distinction is made between the object and the symbol. Verbal thinking is considered as related to the acoustic remnants of words that are transmitted by the primary object due to the alpha function. In the early stages of development and in the case of a violation of symbol formation, subjects do not use symbols that are containers for somatic experiences, but pre-verbal and pre-symbolic elements. The author concludes that the process of symbolization underlies the development of the mental apparatus.
Key words: symbolization, thinking, Kleinian psychoanalysis, verbal thinking, symbolic forms, U. Bion, alpha function.
Citation. Velikanova L.V. The Place of Symbolization in the Psychoanalytic Model of Thinking: Verbal and Pre-Verbal Aspects. Logos et Praxis, 2021, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 82-92. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/lp.jvolsu.2021.3.9
The Place of Symbolization in the Psychoanalytic Model of Thinking: Verbal and Pre-Verbal Aspects by Velikanova L.V. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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