ABSTRACT
Clinical material from work with two patients is used to explore the idea of unconscious communication between patient and analyst even before the transference, as classically understood, comes into effect. An unconscious attractor (Bollas) may be guiding an initial transference and countertransference which precedes the unfolding of the object relationship. The patient's later transference may even be guided by the analyst's countertransference to another patient and by various contingent events and situations from the analyst's life. In this way the encounter between two unconsciouses can both hinder and help the analytic work to become established.
