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Sitting in that chair, rocking a n d
gazing at the wallpaper, o n e seemed
to t u r n into a m e r e tangle of rising a n d
falling t e n d r i l s t h a t w o u l d g r o w w i t h i n
a c o u p l e of s e c o n d s f r o m n o t h i n g n e s s
t o t h e i r full size a n d t h e n as r a p i d l y
disappear into themselves again.

R o b e r t Musil, Five Women, 1924

 1

O n t h e A r t of Psychoanalysis
W o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s , like p e o p l e , m u s t b e a l l o w e d a
certain slippage. I d o n o t m e a n to suggest that words,
s e n t e n c e s ( a n d h u m a n b e i n g s ) c a n b e said t o m e a n ( o r
b e ) a n y t h i n g w e wish t h e m t o m e a n ( o r b e ) . R a t h e r , I
a m d r a w i n g a t t e n t i o n t o t h e stifling effect o n i m a g i n a -
t i o n o f o u r efforts t o d e f i n e , t o specify w i t h e v e r i n c r e a s -
i n g p r e c i s i o n , w h a t w e m e a n ( w h o we a r e ) . I m a g i n a t i o n
d e p e n d s o n t h e p l a y o f possibilities. I n this v o l u m e ,
w o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s a t t h e i r b e s t will b e o n l y l o o s e l y
" f a s t e n e d t o t h e p a g e " ( F r o s t 1929, p . 7 1 3 ) . I will u s e
w o r d s s u c h as "aliveness" a n d " d e a d n e s s , " " h u m a n " a n d
" p e r v e r s e , " " s i n c e r e " a n d " i n a u t h e n t i c " w i t h o u t defin-
i n g t h e m e x c e p t — a n d this is a l a r g e e x c e p t i o n — e x c e p t
i n t h e way t h e y a r e u s e d i n s e n t e n c e s . I will a t d i f f e r e n t
t i m e s u s e t h e w o r d s " e m p t y , " " s t a g n a n t , " "stale" a n d
" s t i l l b o r n " t o talk a b o u t a n e x p e r i e n c e o f e m o t i o n a l
d e a d n e s s . T h e r e a d e r m i g h t r e a s o n a b l y ask, " W h i c h o f
 Reverie and Interpretation

t h e s e f e e l i n g s o r states, if any, d o e s O g d e n h a v e i n
m i n d w h e n h e speaks of e m o t i o n a l deadness? More-
o v e r , i s n ' t t h e very i d e a o f t h e experience of e m o t i o n a l
d e a d n e s s a n o x y m o r o n ? " I will ask t h e r e a d e r t o allow
m e ( a n d h i m s e l f ) r o o m in w h i c h a s e n s e of e m p t i n e s s
m i g h t s l i d e i n t o a f e e l i n g of d e a d n e s s , a n d t h e n i n t o a
d e a d n e s s of feeling, a n d t h e n b a c k again i n t o a n e x p e -
r i e n c e o f e m p t i n e s s , p i c k i n g u p s h a d i n g s of m e a n i n g
a l o n g t h e way. I t is i m p o r t a n t t h a t w o r d s b e u s e d ( a n d
r e a d ) in a way t h a t allows t h e i r a c c r u e d m e a n i n g s t o b e
a l t e r e d by ( a n d t o affect) e a c h n e w e m o t i o n a l c o n t e x t
in which they are spoken or written or read.
It has increasingly s e e m e d to m e that t h e sense of
aliveness a n d d e a d n e s s o f a g i v e n m o m e n t o f a n a n a -
lytic h o u r is p e r h a p s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t g a u g e of t h e
analytic process. T h e a t t e m p t to use l a n g u a g e to cap-
t u r e / c o n v e y a s e n s e o f this d e l i c a t e i n t e r p l a y o f alive-
n e s s a n d d e a d n e s s of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e a n a l y t i c
setting represents a major challenge to contemporary
p s y c h o a n a l y s i s a n d will b e a c e n t r a l c o n c e r n o f t h i s
b o o k . A l t h o u g h this facet' of t h e analytic e x p e r i e n c e
will n o t o c c u p y t h e f o r e g r o u n d o f e a c h c h a p t e r , it is m y
h o p e t h a t it will b e felt t o lie in t h e w i n g s o f virtually
every s e n t e n c e .
In a t t e m p t i n g to capture s o m e t h i n g of t h e experi-
e n c e o f b e i n g alive i n w o r d s , t h e w o r d s t h e m s e l v e s m u s t
b e alive. W o r d s , w h e n t h e y a r e living a n d b r e a t h i n g , a r e
like m u s i c a l c h o r d s . T h e full r e s o n a n c e o f t h e c h o r d o r
p h r a s e m u s t b e a l l o w e d t o b e h e a r d i n all o f its s u g g e s -
tive i m p r e c i s i o n . W e m u s t a t t e m p t in o u r u s e o f lan-
On the Art of Psychoanalysis

g u a g e , b o t h i n o u r t h e o r y - m a k i n g a n d in o u r analytic
p r a c t i c e , t o b e m a k e r s of m u s i c , r a t h e r t h a n p l a y e r s of
n o t e s . T o t h a t e n d , we h a v e little c h o i c e b u t t o a c c e p t
t h a t a w o r d o r a s e n t e n c e is n o t a still p o i n t of m e a n i n g
a n d will n o t s o u n d t h e s a m e o r m e a n t h e s a m e t h i n g a
m o m e n t l a t e r . W h e n a p a t i e n t asks m e t o r e p e a t w h a t I
h a v e j u s t said, I m a y tell h i m s o m e t h i n g t o t h e effect
t h a t I c a n n o t s i n c e t h a t m o m e n t is g o n e . I a d d t h a t h e
a n d I m i g h t try t o say s o m e t h i n g t h a t takes as its start-
ing p o i n t his feeling a b o u t w h a t has j u s t o c c u r r e d .
W o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s , like p e o p l e , a r e f o r e v e r i n
m o t i o n . T h e a t t e m p t t o fix t h e m e a n i n g s of w o r d s a n d
s e n t e n c e s t u r n s t h e m i n t o lifeless effigies, i m m o b i l e
s t a i n e d cells p r e s e r v e d o n l a b o r a t o r y slides t h a t a r e
o n l y b a r e l y s u g g e s t i v e of t h e living tissue f r o m w h i c h
t h e y c a m e . W h e n t h e l a n g u a g e o f analyst o r a n a l y s a n d
b e c o m e s s t a g n a n t , it is n o l o n g e r o f a n y u s e in t h e task
o f c o n v e y i n g a s e n s e o f living h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e . W h a t
I a s p i r e t o i n t h e u s e o f l a n g u a g e in t h e analytic dia-
l o g u e is c a p t u r e d i n A.R. A m n i o n s ' ( 1 9 6 8 ) c o m p a r i s o n
o f living l a n g u a g e i n p o e t r y t o a walk: "A walk involves
t h e w h o l e p e r s o n ; it is n o t r e p r o d u c i b l e ; its s h a p e
o c c u r s , u n f o l d s ; it h a s a m o t i o n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e
w a l k e r " (p. 1 1 8 ) .
W h a t it m e a n s t o b r i n g a p e r s o n , a f e e l i n g , a n i d e a ,
t o life i n w r i t i n g is t o b e f o u n d i n t h e reader's experi-
ence of reading or hearing t h e w o r d s a n d s e n t e n c e s
b e i n g said ( w r i t t e n ) by t h e w r i t e r . T h i s is t h e c h a l l e n g e
o f all l i t e r a t u r e a n d o f all analytic w r i t i n g s i n c e b o t h a r e
f u n d a m e n t a l l y c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e task o f u s i n g Ian-
 Reverie and Interpretation

g u a g e t o c a p t u r e s o m e t h i n g of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e . If
we as r e a d e r s c a n n o t s e n s e s o m e t h i n g h u m a n , h o w e v e r
faint, in t h e e x p e r i e n c e of r e a d i n g a n analytic p a p e r , a
p o e m , a n essay, o r a n o v e l , t h e n w e c o m e away e m p t y -
h a n d e d . T h e w o r k of t h e a n a l y t i c w r i t e r , like t h e w r i t e r
o f p o e t r y o r fiction, b e g i n s a n d e n d s w i t h h i s effort t o
c r e a t e in t h e l a n g u a g e t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f h u m a n alive-
ness. If a n a n a l y t i c w r i t e r c o n t e n t s h i m s e l f w i t h t a l k i n g
" a b o u t " aliveness o r d e a d n e s s ( t h a t "stolid w o r d abouf
[ W m . J a m e s 1890, p . 2 4 6 ] ) , h i s efforts will c e r t a i n l y b e
i n v a i n . T h i s b o o k , if it is t o a c h i e v e a n y t h i n g o f its g o a l
of c a p t u r i n g s o m e t h i n g of h u m a n e x p e r i e n c e in t h e
a n a l y t i c s e t t i n g , m u s t a t t e m p t a t all t i m e s t o b e a n
e x p e r i m e n t i n w h i c h t h e w r i t e r i n t h e a c t of w r i t i n g a n d
t h e r e a d e r i n t h e a c t of r e a d i n g experiences a sense of
aliveness t h a t exists i n t h e l a n g u a g e b e i n g u s e d . T h i s
b o o k will b e o f v a l u e i n t h e s e n s e I a m d e s c r i b i n g t o t h e
extent that the reader now a n d again has the experi-
e n c e o f feeling w h a t aliveness is i n w h a t it feels like t o
r e a d t h e s e n t e n c e s , o r as F r o s t ( 1 9 6 2 ) l i k e d t o p u t it,
" t o say t h e l i n e s " (p. 9 1 1 ) .
T h e r e a d e r m u s t d o a t least h a l f t h e w o r k in g a i n -
i n g f r o m t h e l a n g u a g e o f this b o o k a s e n s e of w h a t it is
t o b e alive. " T h e p r o c e s s o f r e a d i n g is n o t a half-sleep,
but, in highest sense, an exercise, a gymnast's struggle.
. . . T h e r e a d e r is t o d o s o m e t h i n g f o r h i m s e l f , m u s t b e
o n t h e alert, m u s t himself or herself instruct i n d e e d t h e
p o e m , a r g u m e n t , history, m e t a p h y s i c a l e s s a y — t h e t e x t
furnishing t h e hints, the clue, t h e start or framework"
( W h i t m a n 1871, p . 9 9 2 ) . T h e b l a c k a n d w h i t e s h a p e s
On the Art of Psychoanalysis

o n the page a n d the white space that surrounds those

m a r k i n g s are inert. T h e r e a d e r m u s t d o s o m e t h i n g with
t h e m . H e m u s t actively, e v e n p a s s i o n a t e l y , e n g a g e w i t h
the words in the act of using himself to create some-
t h i n g h u m a n of h i s o w n , in his o w n t e r m s . After all,
w h a t terms, o t h e r t h a n o n e ' s own, are t h e r e with which
t o c r e a t e a n e x p e r i e n c e t h a t is h u m a n ?
A m o n g the m o s t astute c o m m e n t s c o n c e r n i n g what
it m e a n s for a n analysis t o b e alive h a s c o m e (as o n e
m i g h t e x p e c t ) , n o t f r o m a n analyst, b u t f r o m a novelist
a n d essayist, s p e a k i n g in 1 8 8 4 a b o u t t h e a r t of fiction:

T h e g o o d h e a l t h of a n art which u n d e r t a k e s to
r e p r o d u c e life m u s t d e m a n d t h a t it b e p e r f e c t l y
free; I t lives u p o n e x e r c i s e a n d t h e very m e a n i n g o f
e x e r c i s e is f r e e d o m . T h e o n l y o b l i g a t i o n t o w h i c h
i n a d v a n c e we m a y h o l d a n o v e l , w i t h o u t i n c u r r i n g
t h e a c c u s a t i o n o f b e i n g a r b i t r a r y , is t h a t it b e i n t e r -
e s t i n g . [ H e n r y J a m e s 1884, p . 4 9 ]

J a m e s ' s t a t e m e n t a b o u t t h e n o v e l ( a n d implicitly
a b o u t t h e relationship of writer a n d r e a d e r ) h a s impor-
t a n t r e l e v a n c e t o t h e a r t of psychoanalysis a n d t o t h e
u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p of analyst a n d
a n a l y s a n d . T h e i d e a t h a t a b o v e all a n analysis m u s t b e
i n t e r e s t i n g is for m e b o t h self-evident a n d a r e v o l u t i o n -
ary c o n c e p t i o n (cf. Phillips 1 9 9 6 ) . T o b e i n t e r e s t i n g ,
t h e analysis m u s t b e free t o " e x e r c i s e , " t o s h a p e itself
a n d b e g i v e n s h a p e i n a n y way t h a t t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s a r e
a b l e t o i n v e n t . T h e f r e e d o m t o " e x e r c i s e " is t h e free-
 Reverie and Interpretation

d o m t o e x p e r i m e n t : "Art lives u p o n d i s c u s s i o n , u p o n
e x p e r i m e n t , u p o n curiosity, u p o n variety o f a t t e m p t ,
u p o n t h e e x c h a n g e o f views a n d t h e c o m p a r i s o n o f
s t a n d p o i n t s " ( H . J a m e s 1884, p p . 44-45). W h e n t h e
analysis is alive, it u n s e l f c o n s c i o u s l y m a n a g e s f o r p e r i -
o d s o f t i m e t o b e a n e x p e r i m e n t t h a t h a s left t h e well
c h a r t e d w a t e r s o f p r e s c r i b e d f o r m ; it is a d i s c u s s i o n
f u e l e d by curiosity a n d by variety o f a t t e m p t ; it is a n
e n d e a v o r that d e p e n d s u p o n g e n u i n e e x c h a n g e of
views a n d c o m p a r i s o n o f s t a n d p o i n t s . Analysis t h a t h a s
b e c o m e a r o u t i n i z e d f o r m in w h i c h " k n o w l e d g e " is c o n -
v e y e d f r o m analyst t o a n a l y s a n d is u n i n t e r e s t i n g ; it is n o
l o n g e r a n e x p e r i m e n t s i n c e t h e a n s w e r s , a t least in
b r o a d outline, are known from t h e outset. T h e form of
a n o v e l a n d o f a n analysis m u s t n o t b e p r e - s c r i b e d . T o
d o s o is t o f o r e c l o s e e x p e r i m e n t :

T h e f o r m , it s e e m s to m e , is t o b e a p p r e c i a t e d after
t h e fact: t h e n t h e a u t h o r ' s c h o i c e h a s b e e n m a d e . . . ;
t h e n we c a n follow lines a n d d i r e c t i o n s T h e exe-
c u t i o n b e l o n g s to t h e a u t h o r a l o n e ; it is w h a t is m o s t
p e r s o n a l t o h i m , a n d we m e a s u r e h i m by t h a t T h e
a d v a n t a g e , t h e luxury, as well as t h e t o r m e n t a n d
responsibility of a novelist is t h a t t h e r e is n o limit t o
w h a t h e m a y a t t e m p t as a n e x e c u t a n t — n o limit t o his
possible e x p e r i m e n t s , efforts, discoveries, successes.
[ H . J a m e s 1884, p . 50]

As is t h e case with t h e novel, t h e f o r m o f a n analysis

c a n o n l y b e a p p r e c i a t e d in h i n d s i g h t . F o r e x a m p l e , a n
On the Art of Psychoanalysis

analyst d o e s n o t p l a n t o play a r o l e in a p e r v e r s e s c e n e in
a n analytic r e l a t i o n s h i p . T h e "script" o r f o r m of t h e p e r -
v e r s e s c e n a r i o is a r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e a n a l y s a n d ' s i n t e r n a l
o b j e c t w o r l d a n d is given s h a p e as a n u n c o n s c i o u s i n t e r -
subjective c o n s t r u c t i o n of analyst a n d a n a l y s a n d . U n d e r -
s t a n d i n g of t h e m e a n i n g s of t h e f o r m is a l m o s t always
r e t r o s p e c t i v e a n d this f o r m is i n d e e d w h a t is m o s t p e r -
s o n a l t o its a u t h o r s . W e ask a g r e a t d e a l o f ourselves as
analysts a n d as a n a l y s a n d s in d e m a n d i n g t h a t we n o t rely
o n "pre-scribed" form, that we a t t e m p t to b e o p e n to
e x p e r i m e n t : " T h e r e is n o limit [in r a n g e , i n t e n s i t y a n d
c o m p l e x i t y of feeling a n d t h o u g h t ] to w h a t h e [analyst
o r a n a l y s a n d ] m a y a t t e m p t . " M o r e o v e r , we ask o f o u r -
selves t h a t we b e u n c o n s c i o u s l y available t o b e subjects i n
t h e u n c o n s c i o u s e x p e r i m e n t o f t h e o t h e r . W e as analysts
a t t e m p t t o r e n d e r ourselves u n c o n s c i o u s l y r e c e p t i v e , t o
b e i n g m a d e u s e o f i n p l a y i n g a variety o f roles i n t h e
u n c o n s c i o u s life of t h e a n a l y s a n d . U n c o n s c i o u s receptiv-
ity o f this s o r t ( B i o n ' s [ 1 9 6 2 a ] state of "reverie") involves
(a p a r t i a l ) giving o v e r o f o n e ' s s e p a r a t e individuality t o a
t h i r d subject, a s u b j e c t t h a t is n e i t h e r analyst n o r
a n a l y s a n d b u t a t h i r d subjectivity u n c o n s c i o u s l y g e n e r -
a t e d by t h e analytic p a i r ( O g d e n 1 9 9 4 a ) . T o consistently
offer o n e s e l f i n this way is n o small m a t t e r : it r e p r e s e n t s
a n e m o t i o n a l l y d r a i n i n g u n d e r t a k i n g in w h i c h analyst
a n d a n a l y s a n d e a c h t o a d e g r e e "loses his m i n d " (his
capacity t o t h i n k a n d c r e a t e e x p e r i e n c e as a distinctly
separate individual).

It is o n l y i n t h e p r o c e s s o f t e r m i n a t i n g a n analysis
t h a t analyst a n d analysand "retrieve" their separate
 10 Reverie and Interpretation

m i n d s , b u t t h e m i n d s "retrieved" are n o t t h e m i n d s of
t h e individuals w h o h a d e n t e r e d into t h e analytic expe-
rience. T h o s e i n d i v i d u a l s n o l o n g e r exist. T h e analyst
a n d a n a l y s a n d t h a t a r e " r e t r i e v e d " as s e p a r a t e i n d i v i d u -
als a r e t h e m s e l v e s in s i g n i f i c a n t ways n e w p s y c h o l o g i c a l
e n t i t i e s h a v i n g b e e n c r e a t e d / c h a n g e d by t h e i r e x p e r i -
e n c e in a n d o f t h e third analytic subject ("the subject of
analysis").
T h e analysand's e x p e r i e n c e of t h e d e a t h of t h e
a n a l y s t p r i o r t o t h e p l a n n e d e n d i n g o f a fruitful analy-
sis 1 r e p r e s e n t s n o t o n l y a n e x p e r i e n c e o f e n o r m o u s p e r -
s o n a l loss, b u t , as i m p o r t a n t , a n e x p e r i e n c e o f a t y p e of
insanity. T h e analyst's d e a t h f o r e c l o s e s f o r the
a n a l y s a n d t h e possibility o f fully r e t r i e v i n g h i s m i n d (a
m i n d t h a t h a s n o t b e e n exclusively h i s o w n p e r s o n a l
possession for s o m e time). T h e aspect of m i n d t h a t has
(in p a r t ) b e e n "lost" is t h e m i n d t h a t h a s b e e n g e n e r -
a t e d a n d d e v e l o p e d i n t e r s u b j e c t i v e l y . It is a m i n d t h a t
c a n b e a p p r o p r i a t e d by t h e a n a l y s a n d o n l y g r a d u a l l y i n
t h e course of a n u n i n t e r r u p t e d analytic e x p e r i e n c e .
T h e d e a t h of t h e analyst r e p r e s e n t s a v i o l e n t d i s r u p t i o n
o f " t h e p l a c e w h e r e [ t h e a n a l y s a n d ] lives" ( W i n n i c o t t
1971a). T h e (impossible) responsibility o f t h e analyst
t o stay alive f o r t h e e n t i r e t y o f t h e analysis is a h e a v y
o n e a n d c o n s t i t u t e s o n e of t h e s t r a i n s o f t h e p r o f e s s i o n

1. The idea of a "fruitful" analysis is to be differentiated from the

illusory conception of a "completed" analysis that has been
brought to a successful termination after the transference conflicts
and distortions have been successfully "resolved."
<Dn the Art of Psychoanalysis 11

t h a t I t h i n k h a s n o t b e e n sufficiently r e c o g n i z e d . W e
u n d e r e s t i m a t e t h e p r e s s u r e g e n e r a t e d by t h e analyst's
(largely u n c o n s c i o u s ) k n o w l e d g e t h a t h e ( a l o n g with
a l m o s t every p a r e n t ) h a s i m p l i c i d y p r o m i s e d w h a t h e
c a n n o t possibly g u a r a n t e e — t o stay alive l o n g e n o u g h
for t h e analysand (or child) to r e t r i e v e / c r e a t e a m i n d
o f h i s o w n c a p a b l e of g e n e r a t i n g a s e p a r a t e p l a c e in
w h i c h t o live t h a t is o u t s i d e of, a n d yet n e v e r c o m -
p l e t e l y s e p a r a t e f r o m , t h e s h a r e d m e n t a l s p a c e in w h i c h
h e has grown up.
T h e a r t o f analysis is a n a r t f o r m t h a t r e q u i r e s n o t
o n l y t h a t w e s t r u g g l e with t h e p r o b l e m of c r e a t i n g a
p l a c e w h e r e analyst a n d a n a l y s a n d m i g h t live, b u t also
r e q u i r e s t h a t w e d e v e l o p a u s e of l a n g u a g e a d e q u a t e t o
g i v i n g v o i c e t o o u r e x p e r i e n c e o f w h a t life feels like i n
t h a t e v e r shifting p l a c e . W e ask o f o u r s e l v e s ( a n d of o u r
a n a l y s a n d s ) t h a t w e a t t e m p t t o s p e a k i n o u r o w n voice
w i t h o u r o w n w o r d s , f o r this is a very l a r g e p a r t of w h a t
allows analysis t o b e a h u m a n e v e n t . " T h e e x e c u t i o n
b e l o n g s t o t h e a u t h o r a l o n e ; it is w h a t is m o s t p e r s o n a l
t o h i m . . . ." P a r a d o x i c a l l y , it r e q u i r e s a g r e a t d e a l of
t r a i n i n g a n d e x p e r i e n c e t o b e a b l e t o talk i n a way t h a t
feels a n d s o u n d s s p o n t a n e o u s , u n p r a c t i c e d , u n c o n -
trived, u n d i c t a t e d by analytic c o n v e n t i o n o r p r e s c r i p -
tion. T h i s is n o t s i m p l y a m a t t e r of t h e a n a l y s t ' s
g r o w i n g , o v e r t h e c o u r s e o f time, t o feel m o r e f a m i l i a r
w i t h , a n d c o m f o r t a b l e i n , t h e r o l e o f analyst. A n analyst
at any stage of his c a r e e r may c o m e to substitute for t h e
s o u n d of his o w n v o i c e a n d t h e c h o i c e of h i s o w n w o r d s
t h e stale f o r m u l a i c s o u n d of " a c c e p t e d " t e c h n i q u e as
12 Reverie and Interpretation

d e f i n e d by a n affiliation t o a s c h o o l of a n a l y t i c t h o u g h t
o r by a c o n s c i o u s o r u n c o n s c i o u s i m i t a t i o n o f o r i d e n t i -
fication with his own analyst(s), supervisors, o r o t h e r
analysts w h o m h e c u r r e n t l y r e s p e c t s a n d a d m i r e s .
It is a very g r e a t a c h i e v e m e n t i n d e e d f o r a n a n a l y s t
t o d e v e l o p t h e c a p a c i t y t o "simply talk" t o h i s
a n a l y s a n d . T h e i d e a o f "simply t a l k i n g " m i g h t b e
t h o u g h t of as t h e a n a l o g u e t o F r e u d ' s ( 1 9 1 2 ) i n s t r u c -
t i o n t o t h e analyst: "Simply listen" ( p . 1 1 2 ) . S o o f t e n
t h e r a p i s t s a n d analysts s p e a k i n a " t h e r a p e u t i c v o i c e "
( p a r o d i e d i n a n o f t e n d i s c o n c e r t i n g l y a c c u r a t e way i n
films s u c h as Annie Hall a n d Sex, Lies and Video
Tape). S u c h stiff t h e r a p e u t i c t o n e s a r e like t h o s e h e a r d
in n o o t h e r form of h u m a n discourse.
L e a r n i n g t o talk with p a t i e n t s w i t h a v o i c e o f o n e ' s
own a n d with words of o n e ' s own requires t h a t o n e
l e a r n t o h e a r a n d t o u s e " t h e living s o u n d s of s p e e c h "
( F r o s t 1915, p . 6 8 7 ) : " t h e vital t h i n g t h e n i n all c o m p o -
s i t i o n , i n p r o s e a n d v e r s e . . . is t h e A C T I O N o f t h e
v o i c e . . . . G e t t h e stuff o f life i n t o t h e t e c h n i q u e o f
your writing. T h a t ' s t h e only escape from dry rhetoric"
( p . 6 8 8 ) . I t is a l s o t h e a n a l y s t ' s o n l y e s c a p e f r o m d r y
"therapeutic" rhetoric, or d e a d language. T h e analyst's
s p e e c h m u s t b e t h e c r e a t i o n o f a p e r s o n w h o is alive i n
t h a t m o m e n t . L i v i n g h u m a n s p e e c h is as difficult t o
c o m e by in t h e a n a l y s t ' s s p o k e n u s e o f l a n g u a g e as it is
in written p r o s e o r verse.
S o m e years l a t e r , F r o s t ( 1 9 2 9 ) e x p a n d e d o n t h e
i d e a o f "Jiving s o u n d s of s p e e c h " :
On the Art of Psychoanalysis 13

E v e r y t h i n g w r i t t e n is as g o o d as it is d r a m a t i c . . . . A
d r a m a t i c necessity goes d e e p i n t o t h e n a t u r e o f t h e
sentence. Sentences are n o t different e n o u g h to
h o l d the attention unless they are dramatic. N o
i n g e n u i t y o f v a r y i n g s t r u c t u r e will d o . All t h a t c a n
save t h e m is t h e s p e a k i n g t o n e of voice s o m e h o w
e n t a n g l e d i n t h e w o r d s . . . f o r t h e e a r of t h e i m a g -
ination. [p.713]

I n t h i s p a s s a g e , F r o s t ' s w o r d " d r a m a t i c " is itself

d r a m a t i c . I t is a w o r d t h a t is u n e x p e c t e d a n d c o n v e y s a
g o o d d e a l o f w h a t F r o s t calls t h e " f e t c h i n g " ( 1 9 1 8 , p .
6 9 4 ) u s e of e v e r y d a y w o r d s , s o m e h o w t r a n s f o r m e d
i n t o newly m a d e words (words "fetched" from t h e i r
customary place). T h e word "dramatic" has been
n e w l y m a d e h e r e s o t h a t it n o l o n g e r m e a n s h i s t r i o n i c ,
h y s t e r i c a l , s h o c k i n g , flashy, g l a m o r o u s , t h e a t r i c a l , a n d
t h e like. It s e e m s m o r e t o s u g g e s t t h a t t h e l a n g u a g e is
p e r s o n a l , u n i q u e t o t h e p e r s o n s p e a k i n g it, p a r t i c u l a r
t o t h e s i t u a t i o n i n w h i c h it is s p o k e n a n d t o t h e p e r s o n
t o w h o m it is s p o k e n . As a r e s u l t , " d r a m a t i c " s p e e c h
( q u i t e t h e o p p o s i t e o f b e i n g s t a g e d ) is a h i g h l y reveal-
i n g a n d i n t i m a t e use of l a n g u a g e in t h a t o n e has
offered a n d e n t r u s t e d to a n o t h e r p e r s o n s o m e t h i n g
t h a t o n e h a s m a d e for him t o u s e as h e will. I t is a u s e
o f l a n g u a g e t h a t is r i s k - t a k i n g i n t h a t it asks s o m e t h i n g
of t h e listener in t h e process of m a k i n g s o m e t h i n g for
h i m . I n b e i n g alive a n d p r e s e n t i n o n e ' s l a n g u a g e , i n
h a v i n g " o n e ' s s p e a k i n g t o n e of v o i c e s o m e h o w . . .
e n t a n g l e d i n t h e w o r d s , " t h e s p e a k e r asks t h a t a n
 14 .Reverie and Interpretation

a s p e c t o f h i m s e l f b e r e c o g n i z e d "by t h e e a r o f t h e [lis-
tener's] imagination."
T o have one's attempts to speak "dramatically"
( i n t i m a t e l y a n d p e r s o n a l l y ) g o u n h e a r d a n d u n u s e d is
n o s m a l l e v e n t f o r e i t h e r analyst o r a n a l y s a n d . W h e n
t h e a n a l y s t ' s w o r d s g o u n h e a r d , it is a n i s o l a t i n g , frus-
trating a n d disappointing event. W h e n t h e analysand's
w o r d s ( a n d t h e a s p e c t o f h i m s e l f t h a t is e n t a n g l e d in
his w o r d s a n d s p e a k i n g t o n e o f voice) g o u n h e a r d by
t h e analyst, it is a far m o r e s e r i o u s m a t t e r : it is a reflec-
t i o n o f t h e fact t h a t t h e analyst, f o r t h e m o m e n t , is n o
l o n g e r a b l e t o p r o v i d e " a n i m a g i n i n g e a r , " a living
h u m a n p r e s e n c e t o b e with a n d t o b e t a l k e d to. T h e
a n a l y s a n d ' s self-protective w i t h d r a w a l will a l m o s t cer-
t a i n l y follow (for e x a m p l e , in t h e f o r m o f a c t i n g - i n o r
acting out, somatization, reliance on manic, paranoid,
a n d a u t i s t i c d e f e n s e s , a n d s o o n ) . S u c h is t h e n a t u r e o f
h u m a n d i s c o u r s e : a l a p s e o f this s o r t o n t h e p a r t o f t h e
a n a l y s t is p a i n f u l , b u t n o t t r a g i c . It is p a r t o f t h e r h y t h m
o f a n a l y t i c d i s c o u r s e a n d o f all o t h e r f o r m s o f h u m a n
d i s c o u r s e . H o w e v e r , if this p a t t e r n c o n t i n u e s u n a b a t e d
a n d u n e x a m i n e d in a n analytic s e t t i n g , s o m e t h i n g far
m o r e d e s t r u c t i v e t o t h e analysis is set in m o t i o n . W h e n
t h e analyst is u n a b l e t o a n a l y z e t h e u n c o n s c i o u s
t h o u g h t s , feelings, a n d s e n s a t i o n s ( o f t e n m a n i f e s t e d in
t h e analyst's reverie e x p e r i e n c e ) that are p r e v e n t i n g
h i m f r o m l i s t e n i n g freely a n d i m a g i n a t i v e l y , a g u l f
b e t w e e n t h e analyst a n d t h e a n a l y s a n d grows. U n t i l this
s t a t e o f affairs is r e c o g n i z e d a n d f o l d e d i n t o t h e self-
reflective w o r k o f t h e analysis, e i t h e r t h r o u g h c o u n t e r -