ABSTRACT
The traffic between image and word, however, is not just one-way. The word may defensively provide a refuge from the force or immediacy of the image, so the image may in its turn offer a retreat from explicit verbal articulation, if that is itself becoming uncomfortable. If imaging and visualisation are significant elements of dimensional awareness, having the potential to contribute to a more articulate and nuanced understanding of the psyche, then their relative neglect within psychoanalytic discourse raises questions. The immense importance attributed to dreams alone in classical psychoanalytic theory and practice is testament enough to the recognition of the visual element as a rich therapeutic resource. Alongside the dynamics of both the appearance and disappearance of the image, the chapter attempts to evaluate that richness, and think about how to retrieve the place of the visual both theoretically and clinically. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
