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The articles in this issue enrich the concept of the unconscious fantasy, which is an example of contemporary psychoanalytic pluralism. Each writer, using different psychoanalytic perspectives, attests to the theoretical and clinical importance of the unconscious fantasy.
The unconscious fantasy comprised of conflict is an interference in the patient's cognition and perception and contribute to symptomatology (Abend). The unconscious fantasy is part of an interactional process (Gerson and Sugarman) and is a dissociate part of an interactional process (Bromberg). The unconscious fantasy is a way of thinking that is an essential part of the thinking process (Grotstein). The curative fantasy requires recognition, but not necessarily interpretation, to promote analytic progression (Ornstein and Ornstein).
Each perspective has important clinical value, yet they are inconsistent with each other, underlining the incompleteness of our psychoanalytic models and the complexity of the material that we are attempting to comprehend. Each author's perspective is argued with deep conviction reflecting the power of their particular psychoanalytic theory and history (Smith).