THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY CAN BE CHARACterized by three major periods, each dominated by a particular construct or concept, coloring both the clinical and the theoretical advances of the period. These periods can be defined as the instinctual; the structural; and object relations. The first yielded the topographic and economic models; the second elaborated issues of intrapsychic conflict, particularly in terms of the development of superego and the defenses; the third, still very much with us, has had impact on our entire theoretical superstructure.

The main issue we try to explore in this paper is one which is not easily definable, nor readily allows for an intuitive understanding. It calls for a closer look into the dimensions of experiencing the object—the significant other related to in an object relation, in an instinctual wish, and in an intrapsychic conflict. Difficulty in discussing dimensions of experiencing an object is