ABSTRACT
This chapter explores psychotic phenomena in groups including any personal and social defences against such an exploration because of the anxieties invoked. Every working conference on group relations is bounded in time, space, and activity. The ideal work of a conference is differentiated from other subjective experiences through the use of the concept of primary task. It is a heuristic device and not a prescriptive one, though it can be reduced to that by some practitioners. Working conferences have a primary task, but a conference designer can state a primary task on behalf of the staff who constitute the collective management of the conference. Working conferences are based on the postulate that they are open systems interacting with their environment. Sentient groups and groupings will develop and change within the period of a conference, both for staff and for members.
