The play of mental forces in free association causes it to be characterized by constant oscillations between imagery and ideation. This oscillation affords the analyst a unique opportunity to study image formation at stages intermediate between the dream and waking thought. The present study emphasizes especially the regression toward imagery at moments of resistance, the relation of imagery to typical aspects of the analytic situation (such as the end of the session), and the transformation of objects in the analytic environment into day residues which strive to re-enter consciousness in dreams, free association, and acting out of the transference. Somatic and communicative aspects of image formation are discussed and comparison made with the metaphors of writers.