ABSTRACT
By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the concept of nature began its task of undermining God and religious passion. With the emergence of modern science in the following century, rationalism chased passion from philosophy. Whereas passion and madness appear to be banished in S. Freud's meta-psychological writings, in his case histories amorous passion reappears within the transference–that is, the feelings that get transferred between the patient and the analyst. How can the analyst help in the development and growth of passion? The development of the patient's potential passion depends on the analyst's sensitivity and alertness to the smallest signs of attention, noticing and linking in the patient; in doing so, the analyst champions and supports these developments. The link between deep interest and passion lies in the fact that one of the manifestations of passion is the capacity to absorb oneself in something outside the self.
