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Int. J. Psycho-Anal. (1971) 52, 169

A CLINICAL APPROACH TO THE PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH : AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE AGGRESSIVE ASPECTS OF

HERBERT ROSENFELD, LONDON

When Freud introduced his dualistic theory of Moral masochism thus becomes a classical piece of the life and death instincts in 1920 a new era in evidence for the existence of • instinctual fusion': the development of began which its dangerousness lies in its origin in the death gradually opened up a deeper understanding of and represents that part of the latter which escapeddeflection on to the outer world in the form aggressive phenomena in mental life. Many of an instinct of destruction. analysts objected to the theory of the death instinct and were tempted to discard it as purely In the' New Introductory Lectures' (1933) he speculative and theoretical; however, others soon discussed the fusion of and aggressiveness recognized its fundamental clinical importance. and attempted to encourage analysts to use this Freud emphasized that the death instinct was theory clinically. He said: silently driving the individual towards death and This hypothesis opens a line of investigation which that only through the activity of the life instinct may someday be of great importancefor our under- was this death-like force projected outwards and standing of pathological processes. For fusions appeared as destructive impulses directed against may be undone and such defusions of instincts may objects in the outside world. Generally the life be expected to bring about the most serious conse- and death instincts are mixed or fused in varying quences to adequate functioning. But this point of degrees, and Freud maintained that the instincts, view is still too new. No one has so far attempted meaning the life and death instincts, 'hardly ever to make practical use of it. appear in "a pure form" '. While states of severe Only four years later, in ' Analysis Terminable defusion of the instincts do resemble Freud's and Interminable' (1937), Freud returned to the description of the unfused death instinct-for clinical application of his theory of the death example, a wish to die or to withdraw into a state instinct for the understanding of deep-seated of nothingness-on detailed clinical examination resistances against analytic treatment, saying: we find that the death instinct cannot be observed in its original form, since it always becomes Here we are dealing with the ultimate things which manifest as a destructive process directed against psychological research can learn about: the beha- objects and the self. These processes seem to viour of the two primal instincts, their distribution, operate in their most virulent form in severe mingling and defusion. No stronger impression arises from the resistances during the work of ana- narcissistic conditions. lysis than of there being a force which is defending I shall therefore attempt in this paper to clarify itself by every possible means against recovery and particularly the destructive aspects of narcissism whichis absolutelyresolved to hold on to illness and and relate this to Freud's theory of the fusion suffering. and defusion of the life and death instincts. In Freud's writings following his more specu- He linked this with his previous theory of the lative approach in ' Beyond the Pleasure Prin- negative therapeutic reaction, which he had re- ciple " it became clear that he used the theory lated to an unconscious sense of guilt and the of the life and death instincts to explain many need for punishment, now adding: clinical phenomena. For example, in 'The These phenomena are unmistakable impressions of Economic Problem of Masochism' (1924) he the power in mental life which we call the instinct said: of aggression or of destruction accordingto its aims Invited contribution to the 27th International Psycho-Analytical Congress, , 1971. Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web.org ).

170 HERBERT ROSENFELD

and which we trace back to the original death impression of Freud's ideas on the relation of instinct of living matter ... Only by the concurrent aggression to narcissism when they wrote: or mutually opposing action of the two primal instincts-Eros and death instinct-never by one or Freud was used to comparing the relation between the other alone, can we explain the rich multiplicity narcissism and object love to that between seIf- of the phenomena of life. destruction and destruction of the object. This analogy might have contributed to his assumption Later on in the same paper he suggested that of self-destruction as of the primary form of aggres- we may have to examine all instances of mental sion to be compared with primary narcissism. conflict from the point of view of a struggle From all this it is clear that Freud must have between libidinal and destructive impulses. realized the obvious relation between narcissism, In discussing his psychoanalytic approach to and the death instinct; narcissistic neurosis in 1916 Freud empha- but he did not work it out in any detail either sized the impenetrable stone wall which he theoretically or clinically. As I shall go on to encountered. However, when in 1937 he des- show later in this paper, I feel these connections cribed the deepseated resistances to analytic are of considerable clinical significance. treatment he did not explicitly relate the resis- Returning now to the question of the hidden tances in narcissistic conditions to the resistances in the sense of clinical resistances in states of inertia and in the negative therapeutic which Freud (1937)related to the silent opposition reactions, which he did attribute to the death of the death instinct, it is important to realize that instinct. One of the main reasons for this he thought that these resistances could not be omission may be that Freud's whole theory of successfully treated by analysis: he apparently primary narcissism had originally been based on believed that the hidden silent aggression of the the idea of the individual's directing his death instinct could not be analysed unless it towards the self and of secondary narcissism emerged as an open and being due to a withdrawal of libido from the that interpretations could do nothing to object back on to the self-and only after he , activate' it. had clarified his ideas on the pleasure principle Abraham went much further than Freud in and the reality principle in 1913, and brought studying the hidden negative transference and in these ideas in relation to love and hate in ' In- clarifying the nature of the destructive impulses stincts and their Vicissitudes' (1915) did he which he encountered in his clinical work with begin to feel that there was some important narcissistic patients. In psychotic narcissistic connection between a pleasurable narcissistic patients he stressed the haughty superiority and stage and hatred or destructiveness towards the aloofness of the narcissist and interpreted the external object when the object begins to impinge negative aggressive attitude in the transference. on the individual. For example, in 1915 he As early as 1919 he had contributed to the states: analysis of the hidden negative transference by When during the stage of primary narcissism the describing a particularform ofneurotic resistance object makes its appearance, the second oppositeto against the analytic method. He found in these loving, namely hating, also attains its development. patients a most pronounced narcissism, and he emphasized the hostility and defiance hidden be- In the same paper he emphasizes the primary hind an apparent eagerness to cooperate. He de- importance of aggression: scribed how the narcissistic attitude attached itself Hate, as a relation to objects, is older than love. to the transference and how these patients depreci- It derives from the narcissistic ego's primordial ate and devalue the analyst and grudge him the repudiationof the external worldwithits outpouring analytic role representing the father. They re- stimuli. verse the position of patient and analyst to show their superiority over him. He emphasized that Something of the same line of thought can be the element of was unmistakable in these seen in Freud's view of the Nirvana principle, patients' behaviour and in this way clinically which he sees as a withdrawal or to and theoretically he connected narcissism and primary narcissism under the dominance of the aggression. It is, however, interesting to note death instinct-where peace, an inanimate state that Abraham never attempted to link his and giving in to death are equated. findings with Freud's theory of the life and Hartmannet al. (1949)seemed to have a similar death instincts. Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web. org).

THEORY OF LIFE AND DEATH INSTINCTS 171 Reich was opposed to Freud's theory of the mechanisms of the objects and the ego, death instinct. He did, however, make funda- which enable the infantile ego to keep love and mental contributions to the analysis of nar- hate apart. In her contributions to narcissism cissism and the latent negative transference. He she stressed more the libidinal aspects and sug- also emphasized, contrary to Freud, that the gested that narcissism is in fact a secondary patient's narcissistic attitudes and latent con- phenomenon which is based on a relationship flicts, which include negative feelings, could be with an internal good or ideal object, which in activated and brought to the surface in analysis forms part of the loved body and self. and then worked through. He thought She thought that in narcissistic states withdrawal from external relationships to an identification that every case without exception begins analysis with an idealized internal object takes place. with a more or less explicit attitude of distrust and criticism which, as a rule,remainshidden. wrote in 1958 that she ob- served in her analytical work with young children He considered that the analyst has constantly a constant struggle between an irrepressible to point to what is hidden and he should not urge to destroy their objects and a desire to be misled by an apparent positive transference preserve them. She felt that Freud's discovery towards the analyst. Reich studied in detail the of the life and death instincts was a tremendous character armour where the narcissistic defence advance in understanding this struggle. She finds its concrete chronic expression. In des- believed that anxiety arises from the cribing the narcissistic patient he stressed their superior, derisive and envious attitude, as well operation of the death instinct within the organism, as their contemptuous behaviour. One patient which is experienced as a fear of annihilation. who was constantly preoccupied with thoughts In order to defend itself against this anxiety of death complained in every session that the the primitive ego uses two processes: analysis did not touch him and was completely useless. The patient also admitted his boundless Part of the death instinct is projected into the envy, not of the analyst, but of other men to- external object which hereby becomes a persecutor, wards whom he felt inferior. Gradually Reich while that part of the death instinct, which is re- realized and was able to show the patient his tained in the ego, turns its aggression against the triumph over the analyst, and his attempts to persecutory object. make him feel useless, inferior and impotent so that he could achieve nothing. The patient was The life instinct is also projected into external then able to admit that he could not tolerate the objects, which are then felt to be loving or superiority of anyone and always tried to tear idealized. She emphasizes that it is characteristic people down. Reich states: for early development that the idealized and the bad persecuting objects are split and kept wide There then was the patient's suppressed aggression, apart, which would imply that the life and death the most extreme manifestation of which had thus instincts are kept in a state of defusion. Simul- far been his death wishes. taneously with the splitting of the objects the Reich's findings in connection with latent splitting of the self into good and bad parts takes aggression, envy and narcissism have many simi- place. These processes of ego splitting also keep larities to Abraham's description of the narcis- the instincts in a state of defusion. Almost sistic resistance in 1919. simultaneously with the projective processes Of the many analysts who have accepted another primary process, , starts, Freud's theory of the interaction between the life and death instincts Melanie Klein's contri- largely in the service of the life instinct: it combats the death instinct because it leads to the ego taking bution deserves particular consideration as her in something life-giving (first of all food) and thus work is essentially based on this assumption binding the death instinct working within. both theoretically and clinically. She also made important contributions to the analysis of the This process is essential in initiating the fusion negative transference. She found that envy, of the life and death instincts. particularly in its split-off form, was an impor- As the processes of splitting of the object and tant factor in producing chronic negative atti- the self and therefore the states of defusion of tudes in analysis, including' negative therapeutic the instincts originate in early infancy at a phase reactions'. She described the early infantile which Melanie Klein described as the' paranoid Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web. org).

172 HERBERT ROSENFELD

schizoid position' one may expect the most com- phrenia and stated that defusion and deneutra- plete states ofdefusion ofinstincts in those clinical lization may be interrelated (1953). conditions where paranoid schizoid mechanisms Freud suggested that defusion of the instincts predominate. We may encounter these states becomes manifest clinically when regression to in patients who have never completely outgrown earlier phases of development takes place. this early phase of development or have re- I have attempted to clarify the origin of the gressed to it. Melanie Klein emphasized that processes of defusion and fusion of the instincts early infantile mechanisms and object relations by relating them to Melanie Klein's theory of attach themselves to the transference and in this the process of splitting of objects and the ego. way the processes of splitting the self and objects, This splitting is a normal in which promote the defusion of the instincts, early life aimed at protecting the self and object can be investigated and modified in analysis. from the danger of annihilation by the destruc- She also stressed that through investigating these tive impulses deriving from the death instinct. early processes in the transference she became This may explain why defusion of the instincts convinced that the analysis of the negative trans- plays an important role in the psychopathology ference was a precondition for analysing the of narcissistic patients and why defused destruc- deeper layers of the mind. It wasparticularly tive impulses can be observed distinctly in through investigating the negatIveaspects of the patients emerging from narcissistic states. early -infantile transference that Melanie Klein For this reason I shall concentrate on the came up against primitive envy which she re- examination of the libidinal and destructive garded as a direct derivative ipsJinct. aspects of narcissism and shall attempt to clarify She thought that envy appears as a hostile, life- in my clinical material how some of the severe destroying force in the relation of the infant to defusions of the instincts arise and indicate the its mother and is particularly directed against factors contributing to normal and pathological the good feeding mother because she is not only fusions. needed by the infant but envied for containing I introduced the concept ofpathological fusion everything which the infant wants to posses's for those processes where in the mixing of libi- himself. In the transference this manifests itself dinal and destructive impulses the power of the in the patient'sneea-ro destructive impulses is greatly strengthened, which he has found helpful. .It appears that envy while in normal fusion the destructive is representing almost completely_ destruc- mitigated or neutralized. tive energy is particularly unbearable t2.. jhe Finally I shall present case material to illus- .infantile ego andel!rly_ on "in lifel,e-comes .split trate the clinical importance of defused and off from the rest of the ego. Melanie Klein split-off aggression in creating obstacles to stressed that split-off, unconscious envy.often analysis, such as chronic resistances and nega- remained 'unexpressed in but neverthe- tive therapeutic reactions. le8SeX:erte:

THEORY OF LIFE AND DEATH INSTINCTS 173

cissism. In considering narcissism from the himself and is able to feed and look after himself. libidinal aspectone can see that the over-valu- When he is faced with the reality of being depen- ation of the self plays a central role, based dent on the analyst, standing for the parents, mainly on the idealization of the self. Self- particularly the mother, he would prefer to die, idealization is maintained by omnipotent intro- to be non-existent, to deny the fact of his birth, jective and projective identifications with good and also to destroy his analytic progress and objects and their qualities. In this way the insight representing the child in himself, which narcissist feels that everything that is valuable he feels the analyst, representing the parents, relating to external objects and the outside has created. Frequently at this point the patient world is part of him or is omnipotently con- wants to give up the analysis but more often trolled by him. he acts out in a self-destructive way by spoiling Similarly, when considering narcissism from his professional success and his personal rela- the destructive aspect, we find that again self- tions. Some of these patients become suicidal idealization plays a central role, but now it is and the desire to die, to disappear into oblivion, the idealization of the omnipotent destructive is expressed quite openly and death is idealized parts of the self. They are directed both against as a solution to all problems. any positive libidinal object relationship and As the individual seems determined to satisfy any libidinal part of the self which experiences a desire to die and to disappear into nothing need for an object and the desire to depend on it. which resembles Freud's description of the The destructive omnipotent parts of the self often , pure' death instinct, one might consider that remain disguised or they may be silent and split we are dealing in these states with the death off, which obscures their existence and gives the instinct in complete defusion. However, analy- impression that they have no relationship to the tically one can observe that the state is caused external world. In fact they have a very powerful by the activity of destructive envious parts of effect in preventing dependent object relations the self which become severely split off and de- and in keeping external objects permanently fused from the libidinal caring self which seems devalued, which accounts for the apparent in- to have disappeared. The whole self becomes difference of the narcissistic individual towards temporarily identified with the destructive self, external objects and the world. which aims to triumph over life and creativity In the narcissism of most patients libidinal represented by the parents and the analyst by and destructive aspects exist side by side but destroying the dependent libidinal self experi- the violence of the destructive impulses varies. enced as the child. In the narcissistic states where the libidinal The patient often believes that he has de- aspects predominate destructiveness becomes stroyed his caring self, his love, for ever and apparent as soon as the omnipotent self-ideali- there is nothing anybody can do to change the zation is threatened by contact with an object situation. When this problem is worked through which is perceived as separate from the self. in the transference and some libidinal part of The patient feels humiliated and defeated by the the patient is experienced as coming alive, con- revelation that it is the external object which, cern for the analyst, standing for the mother, in reality, contains the valuable qualities which appears which mitigates the destructive impulses he had attributed to his own creative powers. and lessens the dangerous defusion. In analysis one observes that when the patient's There are some narcissistic patients where de- feelings of resentment and revenge at being fused destructive impulses seem to be constantly robbed of his omnipotent narcissism diminishes, active and dominate the whole of their person- envy is consciously experienced, since it is then ality and object relations. They express their that he becomes aware of the analyst as a valu- feelings in an only slightly disguised way by able external person. devaluing the analyst's work with their persistent When the destructive aspects predominate the indifference, tricky repetitive behaviour and envy is more violent and appears as a wish to sometimes open belittlement. In this way they destroy the analyst as the object who is the real assert their superiority over the analyst repre- source of life and goodness. At the same time senting life and creativity by wasting or destroy- violent self-destructive impulses appear, and ing his work, understanding and satisfaction. these I want to consider in more detail. In They feel superior in being able to control and terms of the infantile situation the narcissistic withhold those parts of themselves which want patient wants to believe that he has given life to to depend on the analyst as a helpful person. Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web. org).

174 HERBERT ROSENFELD They behave as if the loss of any love object as soon as he felt helped there was not only the including the analyst would leave them cold and danger that he might experience a greater need even stimulate a feeling of triumph. Such for the analyst but he feared that he would patients occasionally experience and some attack him with sneering and belittling thoughts. persecutory anxiety but only minimal guilt, Contact with the analyst meant a weakening of because very little of their libidinal self is kept the narcissistic omnipotent superiority of the alive. It appears that these patients have dealt patient and the experience of a conscious feeling with the struggle between their destructive and of overwhelming envy which was strictly avoided libidinal impulses by trying to get rid of their by the detachment. concern and love for their objects by killing The destructive narcissism of these patients their loving dependent self and identifying them- appears often highly organized, as if one were selves almost entirely with the destructive dealing with a powerful gang dominated by a narcissistic part of the self which provides them leader, who controls all the members ofthe gang with a sense of superiority and self-admiration. to see that they support one another in making One narcissistic patient, who kept relations the criminal destructive work more effective and to external objects and the analyst dead and powerful. However, the narcissistic organization empty by constantly deadening any part of his not only increases the strength of the destructive self that attempted object relations, dreamt of narcissism, but it has a defensive purpose to a small boy who was in a comatose condition, keep itself in power and so maintain the status dying from some kind of poisoning. He was quo. The main aim seems to be to prevent the lying on a bed in the courtyard and was endan- weakening of the organization and to control gered by the hot midday sun which was begin- the members of the gang so that they will not ning to shine on him. The patient was standing desert the destructive organization and join the near to the boy but did nothing to move or positive parts of the self or betray the secrets of protect him. He only felt critical and superior the gang to the police; the protecting superego, to the doctor treating the child, since it was he standing for the helpful analyst, who might be who should have seen that the child was moved able to save the patient. Frequently when a into the shade. The patient's previous behaviour patient of this kind makes progress in the and associations made it clear that the dying analysis and wants to change he dreams of being boy stood for his dependent libidinal self which attacked by members of the Mafia or adolescent he kept in a dying condition by preventing it delinquents and a negative therapeutic reaction from getting help and nourishment from the sets in. This narcissistic organization is in my analyst. I showed him that even when he came experience not primarily directed against guilt close to realizing the seriousness of his mental and anxiety, but seems to have the purpose of state, experienced as a dying condition, he did maintaining the idealization and superior power not lift a finger to help himself or to help the of the destructive narcissism. To change, to analyst to make a move towards saving him, receive help, implies weakness and is experienced because he was using the killing of his infantile as wrong or as failure by the destructive nar- dependent self to triumph over the analyst and cissistic organization which provides the patient to show him up as a failure. The dream illus- with his sense of superiority. In cases of this trates clearly that the destructive narcissistic kind there is a most determined chronic resis- state is maintained in power by keeping the libi- tance to analysis and only the very detailed dinal infantile self in a constant dead or dying exposure of the system enables analysis to make condition. some progress. Occasionally the analytic interpretations pene- In many of these patients the destructive im- trated the narcissistic shell and the patient felt pulses are linked with perversions. In this more alive. He then admitted that he would situation the apparent fusion of the instincts like to improve but soon he felt his mind drifting does not lead to a lessening of the power of the away from the consulting room and became so destructive instincts; on the contrary the power detached and sleepy that he could scarcely keep and violence is greatly increased through the awake. There was an enormous resistance, erotization of the aggressive instinct. I feel it is almost like a stone wall, which prevented any confusing to follow Freud in discussing perver- examination of the situation, but gradually it sions as fusions between the life and death became clear that the patient felt pulled away instincts because in these instances the destruc- from any closer contact with the analyst, because tive part of the self has taken control over the Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web. org).

THEORY OF LIFE AND DEATH INSTINCTS 175 whole of the libidinal aspects of the patient's may lose his interest in the outside world and personality and is therefore able to misuse them. want to stay in bed and forget what had been These cases are in reality instances of patho- discussed in previous sessions. If he manages to logical fusion similar to the confusional states come to the session, he may complain that some- where the destructive impulses overpower the thing incomprehensible has happened to him and libidinal ones. that he feels trapped, claustrophobic and unable In some narcissistic patients the destructive to get out of this state. He is often aware that narcissistic parts of the self are linked to a psy- he has lost something important but is not sure chotic structure or organization which is split off what it is. The loss may be felt in concrete from the rest of the personality. This psychotic terms as a loss of his keys or his wallet, but some- structure is like a delusional world or object, times he realizes that his anxiety and feeling of into which parts of the self tend to withdraw. loss refers to having lost an important part of It appears to be dominated by an omnipotent himself, namely the sane dependent self which or omniscient extremely ruthless part of the self, is related to the capacity for thinking. Some- which creates the notion that within the delu- times the patient develops an acute hypochon- sional object there is complete painlessness but driacal fear of death which isquite overwhelming. also freedom to indulge in any sadistic activity. One has here the impression of being able to The whole structure is committed to narcissistic observe the death instinct in its purest form, as self-sufficiency and is strictly directed against a power which manages to pull the whole of the any object relatedness. The destructive impulses self away from life into a deathlike condition by within this delusional world sometimes appear false promises of a Nirvana-like state, which openly as overpoweringly cruel, threatening the would imply a complete defusion of the basic rest of the self with death to assert their power, instincts. However, detailed investigation of but more frequently they appear disguised the process suggests that we are not dealing with as omnipotently benevolent or life-saving, a state of defusion but a pathological fusion promising to provide the patient with quick, ideal similar to the process I described in the perver- solutions to all his problems. These false sions. In this narcissistic withdrawal state the promises are designed to make the normal self sane dependent part of the patient enters the of the patient dependent on or addicted to his delusional object and a projective identification omnipotent self, and to lure the normal sane takes place in which the sane self loses its iden- parts into this delusional structure in order to tity and becomes completely dominated by the imprison them. When narcissistic patients of this omnipotent destructive process; it has no power type begin to make some progress and to form to oppose or mitigate the latter while this patho- some dependent relationship to the analysis, logical fusion lasts; on the contrary, the power severe negative therapeutic reactions occur as of the destructive process is greatly increased the narcissistic psychotic part of the selfexerts its in this situation. power and superiority over life and the analyst, Clinically it is essential to help the patient to standing for reality, by trying to lure the depen- find and rescue the dependent sane part of the dent self into a psychotic omnipotent dream self from its trapped position inside the psy- state which results in the patient losing his sense chotic narcissistic structure as it is this part which of reality and his capacity for thinking. In fact is the essential link with the positive object there is a danger of an acute psychotic state if relationship to the analyst and the world. Sec- the dependent part of the patient, which is the ondly, it is important gradually to assist the sanest part of his personality, is persuaded to patient to become fully conscious of the split-off turn away from the external world and give itself destructive omnipotent parts of the self which up entirely to the domination of the psychotic control the psychotic organization, because this delusional structure. This process has simi- can only remain all-powerful in isolation. When larities to Freud's description of the giving up this process is fully revealed it becomes clear of object cathexis and the withdrawal of the that it contains the destructive envious impulses libido into the ego. The state I am describing of the self which have become isolated and then implies the withdrawal of the self away from the which has such a hypnotic libidinal object cathexis into a narcissistic state effect on the whole of the self gets deflated and which resembles primary narcissism. The patient the infantile nature of the omnipotence can be appears to be withdrawn from the world, is exposed. In other words, the patient becomes unable to think and often feels drugged. He gradually aware that he is dominated by an Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web. org).

176 HERBERT ROSENFELD omnipotent infantile part of himself which not disobey. He had disowned this omnipotent self, only pulls him away towards death but infan- which explained the estrangement of his hands tilizes him and prevents him from growing up, during the nightly attacks. I further explained by keeping him away from objects who could this split-off self as an infantile omnipotent part help him to achieve growth and development. which claimed that it was not an infant but I shall now briefly report some case material stronger and more powerful than all the adults, from a narcissistic neurotic patient to illustrate particularly his mother and father and now the the existence of a split-off, omnipotent, destruc- analyst. His adult self was so completely taken tive part of himselfwhich became more conscious in and therefore weakened by this omnipotent during analysis and lost some of its violence. assertion that he felt powerless to fight the The patient is an unmarried business man of 37, destructive impulses at night. The patient who has been in treatment for several years. reacted to the interpretation with surprise and He came to analysis because of character prob- relief and reported after some days that he felt lems and was consciously very determined to more able to control his hands at night. He have analysis and to cooperate in it. However, became gradually more aware that the destructive there was a chronic resistance to the analysis, impulses at night had some connection with which was very elusive and repetitive. The analysis because they increased after any success patient had to leave London occasionally for which could be attributed to it. Thus he saw short business trips and he often returned too that the wish to tear at himself was related to a late on Mondays and so missed either part wish to tear out and destroy a part of himself or the whole of his session. He frequently which depended on the analyst and valued him. met women during these trips and brought to Simultaneously the aggressive narcissistic im- analysis many of the problems which arose with pulses which had been split off became more them. It was, of course, clear from the beginning conscious during analytic sessionsand he sneered that some acting out was taking place but only saying: 'Here you have to sit all day wasting when he regularly reported murderous activities your time'. He felt that he was the important in his dreams after such weekends did it become person and he should be free to do anything apparent that violently destructive attacks he wanted to do, however cruel and hurting this against the analysis and the analyst were hidden might be to others and himself. He was particu- in the acting out behaviour. The patient was at larly enraged by the insight and understanding first reluctant to accept that the acting out of which the analysis gave him. He hinted that his the weekend was killing, and therefore blocking rage was related to wanting to reproach me for the progress of, the analysis, but gradually he helping him, because this interfered with his changed his behaviour and the analysis became omnipotent acting-out behaviour. He then more effective and he reported considerable im- reported a dream, that he was running a long- provement in some of his personal relationships distance race and he was working very hard at and his business activities. At the same time he it. However, there was a young woman who began to complain that his sleep was frequently did not believe in anything that he was doing. disturbed and that he woke up during the night She was unprincipled, nasty and did everything with violent palpitations which kept him awake to interfere and mislead him. There was a ref- for several hours. During these anxiety attacks erence to the woman's brother, who was called he felt that his hands did not belong to him; , Mundy'. He was much more aggressive than they seemed violently destructive as if they his sister and he appeared in the dream snarling wanted to destroy something by tearing it up, and like a wild beast, even at her. It was reported were too powerful for him to control so that he in the dream that this brother had had the task had to give in to them. He then dreamt of a of misleading everybody, during the previous very powerful arrogant man who was nine feet year. The patient thought that the name tall and who insisted that he had to be abso- , Mundy' referred to his frequent missing of the lutely obeyed. His associations made it clear Monday sessions a year ago. He realized that that this man stood for a part of himself and the violent uncontrolled aggressiveness related related to the destructive overpowering feelings to himself but he felt the young woman was also in his hands which he could not resist. I inter- himself. During the last year he had often in- preted that he regarded the omnipotent destruc- sisted in his analytic sessions that he felt he was tive part of himself as a superman who was nine a woman, and was very contemptuous of and feet tall and much too powerful for him to superior to the analyst. Lately, however, he Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web.org ).

THEORY OF LIFE AND DEATH INSTINCTS 177

occasionally dreamt of a little girl who was clinical conditions where aggressive impulses pre- receptive and appreciative ofher teachers, which dominate and examine their relation to Freud's I had interpreted as a part of him which wanted theory of the defusion and fusion of the life and to show more appreciation of the analyst, but death instincts. I have found that even in the most severe states of defusion of the instincts clinical was prevented from coming into the open by states which resemble Freud's description of the his omnipotence. In the dream the patient admits death instinct in its original form reveal on detailed that the aggressive omnipotent part of himself, analysis that it is the destructive aspect of the death represented as male, which had dominated the instinct which is active in paralysing, or psychically acting out until a year ago, had now become killing, the libidinal parts of the self derived from quite conscious. His identification with the the life instinct. I therefore think that it is not analyst is expressed in the dream as a determi- possible to observe an unfused death instinct in the nation to work hard at his analysis. The dream, clinical situation. however, is also a warning that he would con- Some of these destructive states cannot be de- tinue his aggressive acting out in analysis by scribed as defusions because they are really patho- logical fusions, in which the psychic structure domi- asserting in a misleading way that he could nated by a destructive part of the self succeeds present himself omnipotently as a grown-up in imprisoning and overpowering the libidinal self, woman instead of allowing himself to respond which is completely unable to oppose the destructive to the work of the analysis with receptive feelings process. relating to a more positive infantile part of him- It seems that certain omnipotent, narcissistic self. In fact the patient was moving in the states are dominated by the most violent destructive analysis towards a strengthening of his positive processes, so that the libidianl self is almost com- dependence, which enabled him to expose openly pletely absent or lost. Clinically it is therefore the opposition of the aggressive narcissistic essential to find access to the libidinal dependent self, which can mitigate the destructive impulses. omnipotent parts of his personality; in other In analysing the omnipotent structure of the narcis- words, the patient's severe instinctual defusion sistic state the infantile nature of the process has is gradually developing into normal fusion. to be exposed in order to release these dependent parts which can form good object relations leading to SUMMARY the introjection of libidinal objects which are the I have attempted in this paper to investigate basis of normal fusion.

REFERENCES ABRAHAM, K. (1919). A particular form of neurotic FREUD, S. (1937). Analysis terminable and inter- resistance against the psychoanalytic method. In minable. S.E. 23. Selected Papers. London: Hogarth Press, 1942. HARTMANN, H. (1953). Contribution to the meta- ABRAHAM, K. (1924). A short study of the develop- psychology of schizophrenia. In Essays on Ego ment of the libido viewed in the light of mental Psychology. London: Hogarth Press, 1964. disorders. Ibid. HARTMANN, H., KRIS, E. & LOEWENSTEIN, R. M. FREUD, S. (1913). Formulations on the two princi- (1949). Notes on the theory of aggression. ples of mental functioning. S.E. 12. Psychoanal. Study Child 3-4. FREUD, S. (1914). On narcissism: an introduction. KERNBERG, O. F. (1970). Factors in the psycho- S.E.14. analytic treatment of narcissistice personalities. FREUD, S. (1915). Instincts and their vicissitudes. J. Am. psychoanal. Ass. 18, 51-85. S.E.14. FREUD, S. (1916-17). Introductory lectures on KLEIN M. (1946). Notes on some schizoid mecha- psycho-analysis. S.E. 15-16. nisms. In Developments in Psycho-Analysis. FREUD, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle. London: Hogarth Press, 1952. S.E.18. KLEIN, M. (1952). The origins of transference. FREUD, S. (1923). . S.E. 19. Int. J. Psycho-Anal. 33, 433-438. FREUD, S. (1924). The economic problem of maso- KLEIN, M. (1957). Envy and Gratitude. London: chism. S.E. 19. Tavistock; New York: Basic Books. FREUD, S. (1933). New introductory lectures on KLEIN, M. (1958). On the development of mental psycho-analysis. S.E. 22. functioning. Int. J. Psycho-Anal. 39, 84-90. Copyrighted Material. For use only by UPENN. Reproduction prohibited. Usage subject to PEP terms & conditions (see terms.pep-web. org).

178 HERBERT ROSENFELD

REICH, W. (1933). Character-Analysis. New York: ROSENFELD, H. (1968). Notes on the negative Orgone Inst. Press, 1949. therapeutic reaction. (Paper read to British Psycho-Analytical Society and Menninger Clinic, ROSENFELD, H. (1964). On the psychopathology of Topeka.) narcissism. In Psychotic States. London: Hogarth ROSENFELD, H. (1970). On projective identification. Press, 1965. (Paper read to British Psycho-Analytical Society.) Copyright © Herbert Rosenfeld 36 Woronzow Road, London N.W.S PEP-Web Copyright

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