ABSTRACT
In order to speak of the Zen impulse in psychoanalysis and to explore the interaction between Zen and psychoanalysis, we rst need to ask: What Zen and what psychoanalysis are we talking about? is is not a question that requires a specic answer. e distinctions are not as clear-cut as some factionalists would have us believe. Rather, the Zen impulse is an idea that needs to be kept in mind as we explore the many possible relationships that exist between various versions of Zen and psychoanalysis. e diverse relationships that evolve in and out of form can be characterized in a manner similar to the way Freud (1933) described psychic structure when he wrote that
In the process of dening the territory shared by Zen and psychoanalysis, can we maintain a sense of wonder, spontaneity, and creativity with regard to our work in the consulting room, the meditation hall, or both?
