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There are many books that deal with psychoanalytic matters from a non-psychoanalytic angle. Some of them turn out to be useful for psychoanalysts themselves, since they represent an opportunity to review certain concepts from a different perspective and to dissipate the shroud of ambiguity and silence in which many of these concepts wrap themselves. Such books prompt the analyst to make a clarification which will dispel misunderstandings and groundless criticism. Others are useful because they suggest what work can be done in areas that border on or overlap with psychoanalysis, areas which merit investigation with different instruments.
Psicosomatica del transfert is an interesting book for both these reasons. On the subject of clarity, we must mention the indiscriminate use that has been made of the term “thought” and the confusion and misunderstandings that it has given rise to. Today it is not clear what psychoanalysts should understand by this term. Does it, as Piscicelli thinks, refer only to the mind's functions and ability to signify or does it cover the whole gamut of psychical operations contained in Bion's grid, which range from rudimentary pre-symbolic transformations to more highly developed abstractions? In any case, when speaking of “thought”, the prevailing tendency is not to refer solely to intellectual knowledge, but also to affective knowledge, namely to a complex capacity for experience that encompasses various levels - the somatic, the emotional, the intellectual.
Going back to the second reason why this book is to be recommended, we must mention the author's honest and thorough approach to such fundamental subjects as transference and countertransference. Backed up by a comprehensive bibliography, his discussion of such phenomena is surprisingly rich in descriptive nuances and observations with the potential for deeper investigation. On the other hand, certain important scientific terms of reference are lacking. This is unfortunate because they wo