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Fantasmatic interaction and intergenerational transmission
Author(s) -
Lebovici Serge
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0355(198821)9:1<10::aid-imhj2280090104>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - the imaginary , psychology , developmental psychology , psychological intervention , dual function , structuring , function (biology) , psychotherapist , psychiatry , computer science , computer graphics (images) , contouring , finance , evolutionary biology , economics , biology
Direct observations and video recordings of mother‐infant dyads are used to study the organization of fantasmatic interactions. The infant is represented in the mother's fantasmatic life as the child of the desire for maternity and is represented in her imaginary life as the child of the desire for pregnancy. During pregnancy, therefore, the fetus serves a dual function for the mother: One function is fantasmatic, marked by its mother's intrapsychic conflict; the other function is imaginary, as constructed from the mother's latent thoughts. Evidence from clinical studies illustrates the role of life events in structuring both the fantasmatic and the imaginative infant. Therapeutic interventions can be facilitated by having parents view videotapes of their interactions with their infants. Other implications for therapeutic interventions are suggested.