The Analysis of the Self: A Systematic Approach to the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorders

386 Pages·2009·22.34 MB·English

by  Heinz Kohut

THE ANALYSIS OF THE SELF
heinz kohut (1913–81) received his medical degree from
the University of Vienna and trained in neurology and psy-
chiatry at the University of Chicago, where he was professorial
lecturer in psychiatry at the time of his death in 1981. He
graduated from the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago
and served there as a faculty member and training analyst.
Dr. Kohut was president of the American Psychoanalytic
Association (1964–65), vice president of the International
Psychoanalytic Association (1965–73), vice president of the
Sigmund Freud Archives (1971–81), and a member of the
Austrian Academy of Science. He received the Cross of Honor
from the Austrian government and an honorary doctorate of
science from the University of Cincinnati. His publications
include The Analysis of the Self; The Restoration of the Self; four
volumes of Selected Writings; How Does Analysis Cure?; and The
Curve of Life, a compilation of his correspondence—the latter
two in print from the University of Chicago Press.
THE ANALYSIS OF THE SELF
A Systematic Approach to the Psychoanalytic Treatment
of Narcissistic Personality Disorders
By
Heinz Kohut, M.D.
the university of chicago press
Chicago & London
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
Copyright © 1971 by Thomas A. Kohut
All rights reserved. Originally published 1971 in The Monograph Series of
the Psychoanalytic Study of the Child
University of Chicago Press edition 2009
Printed in the United States of America
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-45012-4 (paper)
ISBN-10: 0-226-45012-0 (paper)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kohut, Heinz.
The analysis of the self : a systematic approach to the psychoanalytic
treatment of narcissistic personality disorders / by Heinz Kohut.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-45012-4 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-226-45012-0 (alk. paper)
1. Transference (Psychology) 2. Narcissism. 3. Personality disorders. I.
Title.
RC506.K64 2009
616.89’17—dc22
2009013137
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Perma-
nence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
For B. and G.
CONTENTS
A cknow ledgments Xl
Preface xiii
1. INTRODUCTORY CONSIDERATIONS
Part I
The Therapeutic Activation of the Omnipotent Object
2. THE IDEALIZING TRANSFERENCE 37
3. A CLINICAL ILLUSTRATION OF IDEALIZING
TRANSFERENCE 57
4. CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS OF THE
IDEALIZING TRANSFERENCE 74
The Idealizing Transference Distinguished from
Mature Forms of Idealization 74
Varieties of Idealizing Transference 78
The Process of Working Through and Other
Clinical Problems in the Idealizing Transference 86
Part II
The Therapeutic Activation of the Grandiose Self
5. TYPES OF MIRROR TRANSFERENCES: A CLASSIFICA-
TION ACCORDING TO DEVELOPMENTAL CONSIDERA-
TIONS 105
The Merger Through the Extension of the
Grandiose Self 114
The Alter-Ego Transference or Twinship 115
The Mirror Transference in the Narrower Sense 115
Clinical Examples 126
6. TYPES OF MIRROR TRANSFERENCES: A CLASSIFICA-
TION ACCORDING TO GENETIC-DYNAMIC CONSIDER-
ATIONS 133
The Primary Mirror Transference 134
The Reactive Mobilization of the Grandiose Self 135
The Secondary Mirror Transference 137
7. THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS IN THE MIRROR
TRANSFERENCES 143
Acting Out in the Narcissistic Transferences:
The Problem of Therapeutic Activism 155
The Goals of the Working-Through Process Con-
cerning the Activated Grandiose Self 168
The Functions of the Analyst in the Analysis of
the Mirror Transference 175
The Significance of the Mirror Transference as
the Instrumentality of the Working-Through
Process 190
General Remarks about the Mechanisms Which
Bring about Therapeutic Progress in Psycho-
analysis 196
Part III
Clinical and Technical Problems in the
Narcissistic Transferences
8. GENERAL REMARKS ABOUT NARCISSISTIC TRANSFER-
ENCES 203
Theoretical Considerations 203
Clinical Considerations 221
Traumatic States 229
9. CLINICAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE NARCISSISTIC
TRANSFERENCES 239
10. SOME REACTIONS OF THE ANALYST TO THE
IDEALIZING TRANSFERENCE 260
II. SOME REACTIONS OF THE ANALYST TO THE MIRROR
TRANSFERENCES 270
12. SOME THERAPEUTIC TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE
ANALYSIS OF NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITIES 296
Increase and Expansion of Object Love 296
Progressive and Integrative Developments within
the Narcissistic Realm 298
Empathy 300
Creativeness 308
Humor and Wisdom 324
Bibliography 329
Concordance of Cases 343
Index 345