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Presenter: The patient I am going to talk about is one with whom I have great difficulties. He suffers terribly during the sessions and shows his suffering physically – he sneezes, moans, sighs. He gets very desperate. And I always feel that I fail to understand what is happening.
Bion: What does he talk about when he behaves like that?
P: Very often he doesn't talk; he puts his head in his hands and says, “Oh, my God!” In yesterday's session he looked at me when he came in and smiled with a happy expression – this often happens – and then lay down. There was a long silence of ten minutes and during that time I tried to watch him.
B: When do you think the session starts? Are you waiting for him in the consulting room?
P: No, I fetch him from the waiting room.
B: How does the session end?
P: I say the time is up. I get up and he goes out. Often, after a very bad session, he looks at me, smiling, and goes out happily.
B: And you go out with him?
P: No, except once three days ago when the lights went out and I had to go with him with a candle.
B: Some patients want to prolong the session; when they stand up to leave they go on talking. I don't like giving interpretations then because that lengthens the sessions more and more – like a prolonged good-bye. So when I have said the session is over, I stop.