Silence

After having commented on the various meanings of silence, we assert that silence in the analytic cure is not so much a way of avoiding communication as a way of communicating differently. We also hold that, in order for the words used to be lively and expressive, they must be rooted in the silence from which they emerge. In the absence of this relationship to silence, inauthentic communication is liable to occur. In analysis, listening encompasses more than simply words. One must also listen to silences, intervals, and pauses. This type of listening ultimately fosters an appreciation of the present and its nullity.