Whispering at the edges: engaging ephemeral phenomena.

Abstract

This paper conceptualizes the analyst's capacity to recognize and engage ephemeral phenomena in the analytic setting as an essential pillar of deep analytic engagement. It proposes that the analyst's capacity to engage the ephemeral is an ongoing developmental progression which complements and deepens the other areas of analytic knowledge acquired during analytic training such as theory, technique, archetypal patterns, psychopathology and development. The paper provides a working definition of the ephemeral and focuses on the phenomenological experience of the ephemeral. It also discusses the use of reverie in ephemeral engagement and the use of poetry to develop the analyst's sensitivity and responsivity to ephemeral moments.