ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the nature of desire and erotic teasing inherent within analysis - the ‘cat and mouse’ game of psychological seduction. It explores the ‘serious erotic play’ inherent in the analysand’s oscillation between surrender and resistance and considers the mirroring oscillation between the analyst’s withholding and holding functions. There are dark and light sides to this teasing - both aggravating primal fears around the predator/prey dynamic of seduction, while also offering the opportunity for a sense of safe play, which can be transformative for the analysand’s sense of sexual self.
