The Ogden Effect: A Dialogue

Abstract

The field of contemporary psychoanalysis has been immensely enriched bythe contributions of Thomas Ogden. His reflective writing and his uniquereading of others invite us to “dream” with him. Ogden embodies the analyst in the act of engaging. Like Jorge Luis Borges, one of his most esteemed companions, he priorizes the position of the reader. From that perspective his reading of authors like Borges himself, Freud, Klein, Winnicott, Loewald, and Bion infuses his own writings with the capacity to both integrate and creatively transform the ideas re-presented to us as readers. One comes out of Ogden’s papers stimulated by the immediacy of the encounter. His way of introducing us to these authors, and the links he establishes between psychoanalytic theory, practice and personal growth, is truly a masterpiece. How does he do it?