Becoming a subject: Some theoretical and clinical issues

Journal/Book: Int J Psychoanal. 2000; 81: 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1M 7Rd, England. Inst Psycho-Analysis. 875-892.

Abstract: The author presents a cluster of theoretical and clinical thoughts and some clinical material concerned with the issue of subjectivity in psychoanalysis. For convenience, he has organised these thoughts around the notion of 'becoming a subject'. This entails a process of recovery, or discovery, of unconscious subjective elements. There is a discussion of what we mean by the term 'subject: with reference to various strands of philosophical and psychoanalytical thinking. It is suggested that becoming a subject involves a shift towards a 'subjective position'. This refers to how being a subject involves some capacity to take up different positions without becoming fixed in any frozen state of being. In order to be fully in touch with another person, in a truly subjective position, one begins to grasp the other's point of view; the other is seen as other, as a person or a subject, in a context, orientated to others and being affected by others. A subjective position involves allowing experiences of the other to interpenetrate oneself so that they make an impact, lit order to clarify these ideas, clinical material from the analysis of a bulimic patient is present ed to illustrate some of the difficulties for this patient in becoming a subject and allowing the analyst to make an impact on her.

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Keyword(s): MIND

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