Editorial

In this issue we are publishing the papers given at the plenary sessions of the VIIIth international conference of the Journal of Analytical Psychology which was held at Lake Orta in Italy on 15^th - 18^th May 2008 on the theme of ‘Tradition and Creativity: Reframing Analysis in a Changing World’. Many of the papers given in parallel sessions will appear in subsequent editions. The conference was a great success with over 100 people participating from a total of 17 countries worldwide, including six countries from the former East European Communist Bloc.

One element of ‘creativity in a changing world’ is indicated by the fact that three of the six main papers published here are by Italian authors, a change from the traditional majority of English-speaking authors published in this Journal. The opening address was given in Italian by Umberto Galimberti whose prolific creativity resulted in his adding much new material to his previously translated paper—a challenge to which our translators, Anna Benvenuti, Caterina Vezzzoli and Angela Connolly rose magnificently. Here we publish the original version of his paper together with my response. Prof. Galimberti drew on a deep philosophical tradition for his radical and controversial argument that technology is not merely an addition to the modern world but has transformed the social environment in which we live and therefore transformed our psychological being. In my response, I take up these issues in terms of their significance for analytic practice.

Technology is also the theme of Christopher Hauke's paper which considers the direct impact of new communication technologies and questions whether these really improve communication or merely promote a fantasy of doing so. He brings his love and knowledge of movies to bear in an exploration of the role that photographic images of all kinds might have in psychotherapy in the 21^st century.

Jean Knox's paper is also about communication, especially about the hidden messages in the me