Amphimixis is the psychoanalytic term for the merging of pleasure-centres into an amorphous unity.

Early

Sandor Ferenczi introduced the term into psychoanalysis in Thalassa (1924), where he used it to describe the process of merging of the partial drives,[1] to create a diffuse state of infant and childhood pleasure.[2] Ferenczi's idea was developed by Helene Deutsch in her description of female sexuality;[3] but would subsequently be criticised for conflating forepleasure and end pleasure by Michael Balint.[4]

Much later, amphimixis was extended to include a central pleasure centre in the self by Neville Symington, who saw it as providing the erotic basis for the self-love (amour propre) of the narcissist.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Richard Sterba, The First Dictionary of Psychoanalysis (2013) p. 27
  2. ↑ E. Auchinloss, Psychoanalytic Terms and Concepts (2012) p. 140
  3. ↑ S. Flanders, Reading French Psychoanalysis (2014) p. 570
  4. ↑ Michael Balint, Primary Love and Psychoanalytic Technique (2013)
  5. ↑ N. Symington, Narcissism (1993) p. 55
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