lacanian attachment analysts

Wilfred Bion, in his w or Work Group and his Ba (Basic Assumption) Group with its destructive dynamics, is the psychoanalyst who comes closest to describing the dynamics of creative and destructive fighting. Bion served as a tank commander in the first world war, but (as far as we know) did not know anything about the revolutionary tradition of guerrilla warfare. The Barefoot Psychoanalyst (1976) by John Southgate and Rosemary Randall was one of the few Anglo-American psychoanalytic books at that time to include Lenin, Fanon and other revolutionaries as sources. The problem or contradiction, is how, when faced with an enemy with superior arms, wealth, personnel, armies etc. can an apparently weaker group be ultimately victorious. As in the destructive cycle, freedom-fighters are faced with highly armed, bureaucratic, ideologically active propagandistic groups with all the"cards" stacked in their favour. Apparently. The problem with a destructive group is that no matter how superior its fire power and propaganda it has difficulty in thinking creatively (Bion's"K") and may be gripped by sadomasochistic, murderous, unthinking (Bion's ~k), they choose as leader - in Bion's rude but accurate language - "the most psychiatrically sick member" (formal or informal leaders). Vietnam (Ho chi minh) and South Africa (Mandela and Bishop Tutu) illustrate the creative process and we have chosen them to signify and illustrate the creative fighting cycle. Fat Tomados have chosen the martial art of "Judo" because in this practice a smaller and lighter opponent can use the greater weight of the Other to deflect and throw them to the ground. A "David and Goliath" story. Ho Chi Minh's Strategy was (a) to retreat when the enemy advances i.e. disappear into the Jungle and (b) when the enemy feels safely entrenched the revolutionaries advance and attack. This is the fight-flight aspect of the creative tactic. However there is a creative form of "Submission" which we have symbolised by Mandela and Bishop Tutu. There comes a point in a creative submission to negotiate and set up peace and reconciliation committees . Small scale examples operate on the same dynamics as we will illustrate later. How the Creative Dynamic sometimes transforms into the Destructive Dynamic When the members within a Creative Dynamic begin to enjoy the fighting and are seduced into power dynamics then corruption and coercion can follow thereby transforming into the Destructive dynamic. A Historical example is a comparison of Lenin's leadership of the Bolsheviks with his successor Stalin. Under Lenin and Trotsky's leadership and despite terrible conditions, privation and occupation by foreign and Russian armies the Creative Dynamic prevailed. Eventually, under Stalin's leadership bureaucratisation. Coercion and imprisonment took place. A more contemporary example might be that of Robert Magabe of Zimbabwe As we write these words Milsovic of Jugoslavia has just been deposed. Let us hope that this will be an example of a Destructive Dynamic transforming into a Creative Dynamic. One could argue that historically the desire for Socialism and Communism has been bedevilled by the Destructive Dynamic that Bion named the Basic Assumption group. How the Destructive Dynamic sometimes transforms into the Creative Dynamic. The best example of a long term programme of the Creative Dynamic must be that of Nelson Mandela. In the early years he was convinced that peaceful methods inspire by Mahatma Ghandi was his position. Then he realised that the Afrikaner nationalists would never be defeated peacefully. He went to countries with revolutionary traditions and was trained in guerrilla warfare. After 27.1/2 years in Jail he started the negotiations with the nationalists and became President of South Africa. Some say he is the most popular person in the world. Dynamics on a family and interpersonal level. For example in a family these dynamics also arise and therefore show up in the individual's psyche. The sexually and/or ritually abused child grows up in a family (or extended family) that lives in such a Destructive Cycle in a split dissociative way. During the daytime the family acts "as if" it is a normal even highly conventional family. During abusive rituals, often at night, the Jeckyll and Hyde syndrome operate where cruel rituals of a sado- masochistic kind take place. The Desires, Wants Needs and Demands for love become transformed into sado-masochistic hate. There may or may not be an ideology of Satanism.   ©Lacanian attachment analysts 2001