Full Description
Vamık Volkan examines the impact of past and present historical events, cultural elements, political movements and their mental images on the psyche of individuals. Beginning with the history of the debates concerning the relevance of external events to the human psyche, Volkan moves on to look at the spread of psychoanalysis worldwide and the need to become familiar with the cultural, historical, and political issues when working abroad. The remaining chapters follow the story of a successful businessman who calls himself a 'Muslim Armenian'. His psychological journey clearly illustrates how ghosts from the past can remain alive and active in our lives, and how a clear understanding of his people's history and culture allowed the analyst to understand some important causes of his symptoms and personality characteristics.
By presenting a total case report, Volkan illustrates the methods applied to improve the analysand's psychological health. By presenting a case from the viewpoint of a psychoanalytic supervisor, including the supervisor's reactions to the individual being analysed, he has exposed another rich topic to consideration. With this book, Vamık Volkan has given us much to reflect upon.
Contents
About the Author
About this Book
CHAPTER ONE
History, Culture, Politics, and Psychoanalysis
CHAPTER TWO
Teaching and Supervising Psychoanalytic Cases in a Foreign Country
CHAPTER THREE
A Man Who Was Afraid of Ghosts and Graves
CHAPTER FOUR
The Beginning of Analysis and Therapeutic Neutrality
CHAPTER FIVE
Large-Group Identity
CHAPTER SIX
Secrets
CHAPTER SEVEN
Canyon of Hell
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Supervisor's Thoughts and Feelings
CHAPTER NINE
Having an "Analytic Object"
CHAPTER TEN
"Second Look" Experiences
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Behavioral Changes
CHAPTER TWELVE
Therapeutic Regression, Somatic Recollections,
and Disappearance of Phobias
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Growing Up in a Different Way
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Conducting Analysis during Political Turmoil
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
An Unexpected Ending
Last Comments
References
Index
