The Assassination of Robert Kennedy: Patients' and Analysts' Reactions

THE IMPACT of the news of the assassination of Robert Kennedy on June 5, , and of his death the following day, was the subject of a small ad hoc piece of research among analytical psychologists practising, and at work, in London at the time. From the unpredictable nature of the event, it is evident that the method adopted could not be planned in advance: it grew spontaneously from the positive responses of all the analysts with whom I was able to get in touch, on June 6 and 7. These contacts were by telephone, and the greater number of those who had any appropriate material to contribute did so in writing shortly after.

The response to the initial individual suggestion was a collective one. This brief paper makes use, with acknowledgment, of their experiences as well as of mine, but they are not responsible for such deductions or interpretations as follow, because it was not possible to do enough work on the matter for a joint report to be produced. The inquiry elicited material bearing on individual and collective reactions to the act of violence, and on some aspects of counter-transference. It might turn out to be a pilot project for similar small inquiries into the impact of unpredictable events on analyses, not necessarily requiring a large number of participants or elaborate research techniques.

The idea arose in my mind from noticing how much the analytic hours with two very different patients were affected by the news of the attack on June 5, and another one on June 6, and I found myself irresistibly wondering whether other analysts' experiences had been similar and whether, within the necessary limits of confidentiality they would be willing to record and to communicate them, either partially or fully.

The analytic sessions involved were limited to those taking place on three days only—June 5, 6 and 7. There was at the time no thought of publication. The central intention was to discover any analytic facts occurring on