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Review Ahron Friedberg with Sandra Sherman. Psychotherapy and personal change: Two minds in a mirror
(2022)
In this essay, the author will explore the use of countertransference in the therapeutic process, with particular emphasis on Oedipal love. We begin with countertransference as conceptualized by interpersonal psychoanalytic theorists, who immediately pointed out the technical relevance of the therapist as a person, and the importance of the use of the therapist’s feelings, thoughts, life experiences, and states of mind in the therapeutic relationship. Just as dreams, slips of the tongue, peripheral thoughts, and physical gestures are useful in reading the patient’s unconscious experience, accepting, examining, and exploring countertransference become useful in reading the analyst’s unconscious experience. The author will then identify a more radical and contemporary conception of countertransference as representative of the analyst’s unconscious receptivity to the patient within the enactments in which transference and countertransference reciprocally affect each other. Finally, the author will concentrate on the Oedipal feelings experienced by the therapist and their importance in treatment. A clinical case will illustrate the clinical ramifications of these hypotheses.
>Hans, einen herrlichen Film hab ich gesehn.< Von Potemkin bis Ben Hur. Die Grundigs und das Kino
(2022)
Erich Fromm (1900 – 1980) was not only one of the key members of the Frankfurt School, but also a prominent German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst and humanistic philosopher. Using Freudian psychoanalysis, Fromm synthesized the Marxian humanist doctrine on the basis of social character and the social unconscious as mediators. This led to the construction of a unique system of thought covering multiple levels of society and psychology, and an in-depth discussion of a series of externalized psychological problems that have emerged since the development of capitalist society.– This article attempts to clarify the logical progression of Fromm’s thought on alienation by looking at the realistic background and theoretical sources of the formation of his thought system. First of all, it examines Fromm’s need for human survival in the light of the dilemma of existential alienation in Western capitalist society, and grasps the unique connotation of his alienation thought and interprets it. Fromm explores the dilemma of survival in human society by combining the process of individuation and socio-historical development, and exposes the state of spiritual alienation of individuals. Secondly, Fromm’s diagnosis of the roots of pathological alienation in Western society is outlined in both subjective and objective dimensions. Again, Fromm’s critique of the consequences of alienation in developed industrial societies is explored, elucidating the logical correlation between the emergence of freedom-avoiding mechanisms, non-productive personality tendencies, possession-oriented ways of being and the alienation that occurs in the inner world of individuals. This is followed by an examination of the consequences of the interaction and conflict between the psychological alienation of the individual and the alienation of society in general, revealing the relationship between the individual and society.– Finally, Fromm’s search for a way to overcome alienation and build a sound society that meets human needs is discussed, and the rationality and limitations of his vision are objectively assessed. Fromm made a positive contribution to the evolution and enrichment of human culture and spirituality in the twentieth century. However, he does not fully acknowledge the role of material production and only overemphasizes the influence of psychological factors on human beings, while ignoring the fact that private ownership is the fundamental cause of the limitation of human freedom. Neither spontaneous activities nor social changes can fundamentally solve the problems caused by total alienation, but they can still provide a reference for the path of building a human-centered >harmonious society< in China: after the material enrichment of Chinese society, it should pay more attention to the spiritual existence of human beings and leave behind the possession-oriented way of living; promote humanistic culture and calmly We should also pay attention to the psychological and spiritual state of human beings and cultivate a sound personality. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 5/2023]
Carson McCullers is an outstanding female writer in the 20th century United States, becoming a celebrity with her first novel >The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter<. There is no doubt that McCullers is endowed with a talent for writing. She is a keen and sensitive woman, which is probably due to her life experiences and illness. In some sense, her personality contributes a lot to her writing, enabling her to grasp the slightest details of humanity. She is adept at exploring the psychology of human beings and pays special attention to their state of loneliness, which constitutes her writing theme >spiritual isolation<. McCullers tends to highlight man’s spiritual impotency through physical deformity. The freaks in her works make up rebellious power against the mainstream culture in the American South. >The Member of the Wedding< is a very representative work of McCullers. It follows the theme of spiritual isolation as her other works. Through McCullers’s elaborate portrayal, a 12-year-old girl’s struggle and sorrow are vividly presented to readers. The female protagonist Frankie is a tomboy living in a small Southern town. In the year when she progresses from 12 to 13, she falls into the dull repetition of days, becoming a solitary >freak<. A great dilemma confronting Frankie is that she aspires for freedom, but is unable to take the burden of freedom. Becoming a part of some group and leaving the town constitute two strong desires of Frankie. They are seemingly irrelevant, but closely related. Belonging saves Frankie from isolation, and escape promises her greater freedom and connectedness. Through a close reading of Carson McCullers’s novel >The Member of the Wedding<, this thesis is devoted to analyzing the protagonist Frankie’s living predicament from a psychoanalytical perspective and discussing the underlying solution to the condition. Erich Fromm’s theory of freedom and love exhaustively explores the spiritual crisis of modern man and provides a feasible solution. Using his theory will be conducive to the explanation of the protagonist’s complex psychology and her dilemma. Besides, Adler’s concept of social interest can help further analyze how the protagonist is able to realize positive freedom. After research, it can be concluded that Frankie is confronted with the universal predicament of modern man's burden of freedom. While she tries to escape from the burden, she suffers disillusionment, but at the same time, it helps the development of her individual self and provides motivation for positive freedom. Fromm believes that to get rid of the unbearable plight, love is indispensable. For Frankie and any modern man who suffers from aloneness, mastering the art of love is necessary to advance to positive freedom. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]