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I accepted the proposal to comment on John Foehl's clinical material with as much pleasure as I would have accepted an invitation to a dinner prepared by him, certain that on trying the dinner I'd comment - very good cooking.
Before proceeding with my observations on the clinical material I would like to quote Meltzer's account of what Bion said to him when he was asked to comment on one of Meltzer's papers. Meltzer introduces Bion's comment, saying:
Bion transforms the analytic encounter into one which is essentially a work of art, an aesthetic process which he likens to [quoting Bion]:
“… the diamond cutter's method of cutting stone so that a ray of light entering the stone is reflected back by the same path in such a way that the light is augmented - the same ‘free association’ is reflected back by the same path, but with augmented ‘brilliance’. So the patient is able to see his ‘reflection’, only more clearly than he can see his personality as expressed by himself alone (i.e. without an analyst).” (apud Meltzer (1978, p. 126)
Within this perspective I wish to present what would be my own cutting of the clinical material presented by Foehl, knowing that this is just another cutting among several which could reflect back the light with augmented brilliance.
In order to make my comments clearer I need a frame in which to situate the discourse of the patient in the processes of meaning making. Let's take Nina as a character (in the novel of reality) dealing with several situations involving other people on occasions in which closeness and intimacy are at stake; her emotional reactions to closeness and intimacy take center stage and key elements towards transformation unfold throughout the many sessions which are presented.
From this stance, in my view Nina's discourse and the emotional experiences figured in her dreams deal with the central issue of a traumatic experience of rape, as seen by her, and its effects. The most important effect is her difficulty in establishing