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IJP 47:559-560 (1966)

'Development of Symbiosis, Symbiotic Psychosis, and the Nature of Separation Anxiety'—Remarks on Weiland's Paper

Authors: Margaret S. Mahler, Manuel Furer

Abstract

We wish to offer the following comments on Dr Weiland's (1966) article, 'Considerations on the Development of Symbiosis, Symbiotic Psychosis and the Nature of Separation Anxiety'.

1By 'separation-individuation' we mean an intrapsychic, developmental, gradual process of separation of the self, and the beginnings of the establishment of individual identity. We definitely do not mean physical separation in behavioural terms, which appears to be Weiland's interpretation of our concept. Weiland has quite clearly misunderstood our article, 'Certain Aspects of the Separation-Individuation Phase' (Mahler and Furer, 1963); furthermore he has quoted from this article, as well as from others, out of context, in such a way that his quotations convey a meaning almost contrary to their actual intent.
In the paper referred to, we clearly pointed out that, in contradistinction to most present-day studies on 'separation', our research in normal development was explicitly undertaken in a setting of the mothers' continual physical presence. We emphasized that, whereas most studies in this area are concerned with the sequelae of the child's physical separation from the mother and the traumatic effects of such separation on personality development, our research was designed for the study of the normal, intrapsychic separation-individuation process, which takes place within the physical and emotional availability of the mother.
This normal, intrapsychic separation process—which we made the focus of our research—paves the way to eventual 'object constancy' (Hartmann). To put it somewhat differently, normal intrapsychic separation, which leads to individuation and vice versa and which takes place in the natural setting of the family—with only the routine separtion experiences of infancy and early childhood—results in the differentiation and demarcation of the child's intrapsychic representations of the self from his representations of the object world (Jacobson).
2In like manner, Weiland a

IJP 47:559-560 (1966)

'Development of Symbiosis, Symbiotic Psychosis, and the Nature of Separation Anxiety'—Remarks on Weiland's Paper

Authors: Margaret S. Mahler, Manuel Furer

Abstract

We wish to offer the following comments on Dr Weiland's (1966) article, 'Considerations on the Development of Symbiosis, Symbiotic Psychosis and the Nature of Separation Anxiety'.

1By 'separation-individuation' we mean an intrapsychic, developmental, gradual process of separation of the self, and the beginnings of the establishment of individual identity. We definitely do not mean physical separation in behavioural terms, which appears to be Weiland's interpretation of our concept. Weiland has quite clearly misunderstood our article, 'Certain Aspects of the Separation-Individuation Phase' (Mahler and Furer, 1963); furthermore he has quoted from this article, as well as from others, out of context, in such a way that his quotations convey a meaning almost contrary to their actual intent.
In the paper referred to, we clearly pointed out that, in contradistinction to most present-day studies on 'separation', our research in normal development was explicitly undertaken in a setting of the mothers' continual physical presence. We emphasized that, whereas most studies in this area are concerned with the sequelae of the child's physical separation from the mother and the traumatic effects of such separation on personality development, our research was designed for the study of the normal, intrapsychic separation-individuation process, which takes place within the physical and emotional availability of the mother.
This normal, intrapsychic separation process—which we made the focus of our research—paves the way to eventual 'object constancy' (Hartmann). To put it somewhat differently, normal intrapsychic separation, which leads to individuation and vice versa and which takes place in the natural setting of the family—with only the routine separtion experiences of infancy and early childhood—results in the differentiation and demarcation of the child's intrapsychic representations of the self from his representations of the object world (Jacobson).
2In like manner, Weiland a