The imaginary companion, guardian angel and intergenerational psychic transmission.

The authors examined the role of intergenerational psychic transmission as a possible basis for the "imaginary companion" syndrome that is found in th e psyche of certain children. They considered a literary example (the novel ist Marie Noel) and also a clinical case, and thereby demonstrate the defen sive function of the "imaginary companion", and also the way in which this function results from a splitting of incestuous impulses in the self that a re transmitted by a nonverbally expressed attitude accompanied by depressiv e manifestations of mourning. This hypothesis extends the studies of Nagera , Benson and Pryer who underline the importance of the imaginary companion, i.e., that of narcissistic reinforcement; it follows the studies of Amado and Costes, in which this syndrome is regarded as a pathology assigned to a transitional area. (C) 1999 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier S AS.