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S Argentieri

Publications and source records attributed to S Argentieri.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

The babel of the unconscious.

This paper illustrates our clinical and personal experiences concerning the vast and complex theme of 'Polylingualism in psychoanalysis'. The issue of polylingualism and polyglotism reintroduces some general psychoanalytic hypotheses. For instance, is the nature of the unconscious predominantly pre-verbal, or is it structured as a language? What occurs if some languages are known since very early childhood, and belong to a pre-symbolic structural patrimony closely bound to bodily sensations and concrete experiences? How does the learning of new languages, later on, affect or modify thought processes? How do new and old unconscious 'thing' and 'word' representations interact with each other? What are the related problems regarding repression and memory? Our paper illustrates and discusses problems of communication and comprehension within the clinical situation, in cases when the analytic language is not the mother-tongue of the analyst, or of the patient, or of either of them.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Hope and hopelessness: a technical problem?

The authors discuss a particular technical problem raised by two patients whose analysis seemed to be at a standstill. The analysands had been complaining for a long time, repeating with a monotonous, plaintive tone that there was no more hope for them. The statement of hopelessness assumed a specific meaning in the frame of their resistance within the analytic relationship. All possible interpretations had been tried until both analysts--independently--resorted to a similar unusual technical strategy which is the issue of this paper. The analyst is invested with the unrealistic task of preserving the illusion that unsatisfied needs or lost objects can be supplied and restituted. This illusion coexists with constant resentment of its lack of fulfillment. Hope alternates with hopelessness and the paradox lies in the necessity to have both coexist as an extreme defence against separation. The resentment and the mournful complaint represented the last and unique possible tie with the primary object and giving this up would mean the definite downfall of illusion and admission that it is really, truly lost for ever.

Adult↗