Experience from psychoanalysis and psychotherapy

with psychotic patients, borderline personalities or patients suffering from psychosomatic illnesses, indicate that our theory on thinking is insufficient. On that account I propose a model for the development of thinking. In my analytic work and when studying contemporary case studies I have found that one can discern other patterns of thinking than primary process and secondary process. I have designated these patterns of thinking chaotic functioning, operational thinking and emotional sensorimotor thinking. Chaotic functioning in older children and adults must be regarded as pathological. The remaining patterns of thinking occur, to a varying degree, in all adults. I have tried to trace the origin and development of thinking patterns and to describe their interaction. I have found that secondary process thinking is not as self-evident as is usually believed. It results from the integration of the four non-pathological thinking patterns. Its quality probably varies from culture to culture.