ON THE ANALYSTS SILENCE

The investigatory perspective of this study is based on the fundamenta l assumption that it is riot only the patient's but also the analyst's silence that shapes the analytical relation in many ways. The first p art of this paper discusses the analyst's silence as an instrument of treatment technique that fullfills various functions on his part. The notion that silence by nature will ensure abstinence and neutrality pr oves to be erroneous. The second, larger part focuses on the question of how the analyst's silence may be experienced by the patient. A libi dinous silence, creating fusion and concordance, is to be distinguishe d from a predominantly aggressive-hostile silence; the analyst's silen ce evokes varied instinctual conflicts, self- and object representatio ns and different forms of resistance within the experience of the pati ent. By means of a case example we will discuss therapeutical situatio ns where a stereotype silence may lead to the analyst getting lost. Si lence as a symbol of death may evoke feelings of uncanniness, of destr uctiveness and guilt on the part of the patient; the silent analyst be comes the damaged object. The study concludes by describing different therapeutical situations in which, rather than keeping his silence, th e analyst should speak.