ABSTRACT
In approaching this problem, Bion reasoned that, in strict army terms (he had been a tank commander in the First World War, gaining the DSO), discipline could be restored if the men could unite against a common enemy. He perceived this common enemy to be ‘the existence of neurosis as a disability of the community’ and concluded that this neurosis should be displayed as a problem of the organization (a problem that was hindering the training wing from working effectively) and that members should be encouraged to work collectively in order to overcome it. The result was a six-week experiment, now known as the ‘Northfield experiment’, that was to provide the basis for Bion’s future work with groups. A framework of discipline was laid down for the soldiers, which said that every man must join a group, such as map-reading, handicrafts, and so forth. There was also a compulsory daily parade, which developed into a kind of therapeutic seminar where the activities of the wing could be discussed objectively.
