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Abstract
A particular type of narcissistic organization, the negative object, presents a significant challenge to the analyst. Conventional analytic methods such as classical interpretation must be eschewed in the face of the negative object's power to devitalize lively exchange and diminish, if not destroy all hope (a vital but neglected analytic variable) in the analytic endeavor for both analyst and analysand. Of particular concern in dealing with the negative object are its regressive qualities, particularly reflected in complete patient silence. The analyst's reverie (as defined by Bion, 1962) is a reliable analytic instrument that can be contoured to meet this challenge by increasing the analyst's mental and emotional agility in provoking the patient's buried or diminished hope. Using a clinical illustration, this paper demonstrates how reverie can function to restore hope in the analytic endeavor and promote therapeutic movement.