ABSTRACT
A mild example of the tension between omnisciences of analyst and patient can be found in H. Guntrip's account of his analysis with D. W. Winnicott. Omniscience refers to limitless mental power and omnipotence to limitless physical power. In human terms, omniscience and omnipotence can be seen, in part, as two aspects of infantile narcissism. In psychoanalytic terms they tend to correspond to mental and physical self-functions. Winnicott came to see the infant's fury at failures of omnipotence as implicated in the creation of the sense of otherness. The individual who feels unreal to himself must be helped to learn how to play. Winnicott associates a kind of benign and creative omnipotence with what he calls the infant's "vital spark," "continuity," "going on being," "psychosomatic unity," and "True Self". The basic invisibility of experiencing contributes to a sense of boundlessness that tinges people existence. Dr. Omnis felt his main problems as a therapist were fear of loss and seductiveness.
