THE SEXUAL COUPLE - A PSYCHOANALYTIC-STUD Y

Love means the ability to combine idealisation and erotic fulfilment a nd to establish a profound object relation. The author examines the cl inical features of erotic desire, its ecstatic and aggressive aspects and the way they are bound up with transcending the limits of the self , its genetic roots and the unconscious object relations underlying th e sexual couple. In Kernberg's view, embarking on the adventure of a l ove relationship involves both identifying with and overcoming the oed ipal parent-couple at one and the same time. He sees breaches in love relationship as stemming from the discontinuity of the relation betwee n mother and child. A mature super-ego, developing from a transformati on of primitive constraints and guilt feelings as a result of aggressi on, is conductive to love and emotional commitment to the love object, while a sound ego-ideal is a fundamental requirement for the ability to fall in love. The article concludes with a discussion of the relati onship between couples and groups.