In The Field of Sleep, by Murray Stein

Beginning with a case, the author describes «the field of sleep». The theory of an interactive field is seen as a psychological factor that becomes activated between two individuals and enrolls both of them in its magnetic grip. Analysis becomes difficult, defenses come into play, and the unconscious occupies the space of the consulting room. Both analyst and analysand are equally drawn into the field and affected by it. The author uses a figure from Vergil’s Aeneid and the Grimm’s fairytale The Shoes that were danced to pieces to reflect upon the field of sleep.