ABSTRACT
Puzzled and uncertain moods are central in analytic progress, although they are sometimes viewed as impediments: Chaos and uncertainty are part of the change process. Analysts can benefit by attending to the variations in their own attention. The analyst’s reflective concentration can disrupt established patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. The well-justified relational psychoanalytic enthusiasm for interaction may be leading some Relationalists to overlook the special opportunities offered by the analytic aptitude for an open, quiet, focused mind and creative use of ambiguity and even confusion, in the midst of intense emotional and interpersonal activity. Nonlinear dynamic systems theories and phenomenological philosophy are discussed.
