ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author supports the view that the dominant form of desire in contemporary postmodern societies has lost the symbolic form that had been achieved during the modern era. He explores more specifically both the ways in which desire has deviated from its genuine symbolic position in the transition from the industrial to the post-industrial society and how group analysis can make a significant contribution to restoring desire to its rightful position. Thus, desire is “deadened” and unconsciously reduced to the need and demand for love. The social unconscious would undoubtedly also be reflected in the small group processe Familiarisation of the contemporary postmodern subject with the matrix is no more than his or her familiarisation with desire itself, in the sense that as the matrix must always be restructured to take on more mature forms must constantly be redefined, differentiating itself from need and demand.
