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In the post-9/11 world, we are justifiably preoccupied with the threat to our survival posed by ethnic and religious hatred. Can the insights of psychoanalysis offer any hope that the dark forces of destruction can be somewhat contained and ameliorated? In this moving book, Vamik Volkan provides a cautiously hopeful message of the potential of psychoanalytic understanding to effect positive change in the troubled lives of groups caught up in seemingly intractable violence and massive trauma. Volkan is arguably the leading authority on the application of psychoanalytic theory to the wide range of international conflicts he has staked out for intervention.
Volkan's thirty years of unique contributions powerfully demonstrates how one psychoanalyst and a group of collaborators have significantly contributed to resolving group tensions adversely impacting the lives of thousands around the world. In 1987 he established the Center for the Study of the Mind and Human Interaction (CSMHI) at the medical school of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. It became the base for his years of international efforts.
This volume contains many examples of Volkan's experiences in the international arena, as well as a presentation of the innovative concepts he has applied to group data unfamiliar to the average clinician. It is only after conflicts that have led to violence, terror, and war have been successfully terminated by military force that we see the long-lasting sequelae of massive trauma and the possibilities of mediation through intervention. Volkan is at times stunning in his understanding of global conflicts; frequently he provides clinical insights the most experienced clinical analyst could learn from. I hope that my selections from this multifaceted work will do justice to its richness.
The book's first section deals with Volkan's experiences in Georgia, a nation located between Russia and Turkey. Georgia became independent