ABSTRACT
With the aid of two clinical cases which illustrate two different disorders of thought linked to misunderstandings of symbols. Thoughts are produced through a mysterious process which W. R. Bion called "alpha function" and which consists in the transformation of emotional experiences into symbols. These symbols are formed during dreams in the way which Sigmund Freud himself called "dream work". This system, which generates thoughts and which uses them for thinking, can also be interrupted at any point and the products of thinking can be used as a basis for action. When this occurs, one puts an end to thinking and introduces a new process called "experimental action". The fundamental characteristic of experimental action is that it is not concerned to verify the truth within the thinking process, but is only concerned to see if it works in the external world.
