reverie
Pronunciation: REV-uh-ree
Bion's concept describing the analyst's receptive mental state that allows unconscious communication to be processed and understood.
Full Definition
Reverie, introduced by Wilfred Bion, refers to the analyst's capacity to remain open to the patient's projective identifications and primitive communications without immediate interpretation or action. This receptive state allows the analyst to metabolize the patient's unprocessed emotions and experiences, transforming them into meaningful understanding. Reverie is considered essential for working with severely disturbed patients who communicate through enactment rather than words. The concept extends the notion of maternal reverie, where the mother processes the infant's emotional states.
Usage
Usage note: Capitalize when referring specifically to Bion's technical concept.
In Context
- "The analyst's reverie allowed her to understand the patient's wordless communication of despair." — case presentation
- "Maintaining reverie while the patient enacted primitive anxieties required considerable analytic capacity." — clinical notes