The Body Imagines: Soma in the Intersubjective Field ¹

Abstract

This article offers a contemporary perspective on the psychosomatic field in analysis wherein the psyche and body exist as a unified whole. From this perspective, the body is one of several channels for the emergence of unconscious material, which is to be understood and engaged like any other manifestation of the unconscious. Hence, bodily symptoms or sensations are embraced as dreams which inform us about the unconscious processes of the patient, the analyst, and their shared intersubjective field. The manifestations of somatic experience are understood as providing a window into the mind/body field. Through the integration of Jungian and Bionian thought, with supporting research from neuroscience, metaphor, implicit experience, and primary affects, this article offers a contrast to the traditional Jungian perspective which emphasizes visual image and narrative over sensory, somatic, and affective experience.