Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the controversial aspects of Wilfred Bion’s concept of O that he related to the “mystic”. It introduces the notion that aspects of O, which are often associated with mysticism and the mystic, are synonymous with religion. The book describes Bion’s epistemological period in the 1960s, the development of his foundational theories up to 1965 and to his expansion of the Kleinian paradigm by “positing a variable baby with a variable mother”. It explores different aspects of clinical work that lead to transformation in O, from the relationship of catastrophic change and container/contained, abandonment of memory, desire and understanding, and negative capability, to name a few. The book suggests that the process of reciprocal kindling helps aid repair of the mind through a kinetic emotional feeling signal between two people.