The upcoming conference by the Society of Analytical Psychology will bring together a diverse range of psychoanalytic perspectives, exploring the complexities of transformation, resilience, and the development of the mind.
Francesco Bisagni will examine the paradoxical nature of the psyche through the image of Abraxas, as described by Jung in The Visions Seminars and The Red Book. By drawing comparisons with Bion’s A Memoir of the Future, Bisagni highlights the tension between knowing and unknowing, particularly in the adolescent state of mind.
Marco Francesconi and Daniela Scotto di Fasano will introduce a new way of conceptualizing mental development, moving beyond the traditional model of the mind’s expansion. They propose a metaphor drawn from physics—the condensation of a primordial nebula—to describe the consolidation of early psychic structures. Drawing on Klein, Bion, Bleger, and Ogden, they explore the autistic state of mind as an early mode of functioning and examine its implications for psychoanalytic practice.
Jay Barlow will present The Umbilical, a paper that critically examines how psychoanalytic interpretations of early relational trauma intersect with gender and identity. Challenging the unconscious biases that can emerge in clinical settings, Barlow explores how excessive parental, social, or relational involvement shapes a person’s sense of self.
Together, these presentations will provide an exploration of how psychoanalytic theory continues to evolve, bridging classical ideas with contemporary challenges. From Jung’s Abraxas to Bion’s conceptual framework, from the condensation of the mind to the fluidity of gendered experience, the conference is sure to offer a deep engagement with the complexities of psychic life.