When Meaning Is Lost in the Body

This paper deals with severe physical symptoms occurring during stages of analysis in certain patients when a big change is foretold in dreams and following interpretive work aimed at providing the patient with insight into his major psychic conflict. Primitive infantile affects which were not attributed psychic meanings by the mother have remained locked in the body and severe somatization does occur. Psychosomatic patients use their body or body organs to provide the last bulwark against integration. Three cases illustrate this theoretical position. The clinical cases are full of details and examples of somatic reactions.