Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo is a training and supervising psychoanalyst of the Venezuelan and Canadian Psychoanalytic Societies. He was associate professor at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and a former member of the editorial board of the 'International Journal of Psychoanalysis'. He maintains a private practice of psychoanalysis in Toronto, Canada.

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSABOUT THE AUTHOR PREFACE INTRODUCTIONCHAPTER ONE"Evicted from life": time distortion between pre-conceptual and conceptual traumasCHAPTER TWOThe mark of Cain: ego and superego narcissistic identifications with pre-conceptual traumasCHAPTER THREEThe conceptualisation of pre-conceptual traumas CHAPTER FOURThe unconscious: the messenger of truth from Bion's perspective of container-contained interaction CHAPTER FIVETransformation of pre-conceptual traumas: heteromorphic or homeomorphic symbolisations CHAPTER SIX"Deferred action" ("apres coup") and the emotional interaction between pre-conceptual and conceptual traumas CHAPTER SEVENPre-conceptual traumas as the tyrannical presence of absences CHAPTER EIGHTNegative and positive links as a form of communication in the traumatised and non-traumatised states (TS N-TS)CHAPTER NINEThe traumatised ego and the traumatising superego CHAPTER TENActing out pre-conceptual traumas: interruption of therapy and "catastrophic change"CHAPTER ELEVENPre-conceptual traumas: inflicted by chance and repeated by compulsion CHAPTER TWELVEThe world of sigma (S))CHAPTER THIRTEENThe triangle's entrapment: pre-conceptual traumas and the oedipal conditionCHAPTER FOURTEENAll pregnancies are twins: one baby in the uterus and one baby in the mind-pre-conceptual traumas and infertility CHAPTER FIFTEENChildren from the claustrum: pre-conceptual traumas and addiction CHAPTER SIXTEENPre-conceptual traumas and somatic pathology: the body's attempt to dream a repetitious undreamed dream CHAPTER SEVENTEENPre-conceptual traumas and totalitarianism, by Anamilagros Perez Morazzani and Rafael E. Lopez-CorvoNOTES REFERENCES INDEX

'In this insightful and original book, Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo cleverly explores what he describes as pre-conceptual traumas and conceptual traumas and the continuous interrelation between them. The result is a deeply intelligent, creative, and generous book that I highly recommend to all professionals in mental health who wish to further their understanding of this fundamental topic.'-Antonino Ferro, President of the Italian Psychoanalytical Society (SPI) and member of the American Psychoanalytic Association'Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo's book is an imaginative, stimulating, and thought-provoking study of the nature of psychic trauma and its treatment from the vantage point of pre-conceptual traumas.'-Professor Charles Hanly, past President of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA)'This book directs our attention to the earliest experiences in the development of the mind and spirit and to nonverbal and perhaps unspeakable experiences that become foundational in our development as humans. Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo's understanding of the pre-conceptual markers of traumatic experience within the clinical encounter and his ability to write about these 'presence-absences' enables us to understand and see ourselves and our patients more deeply and compassionately. His extension of Bion's approach adds to our appreciation of both what it is to be human and how we as clinicians work to increase aliveness.'-Judy K. Eekhoff, PhD, FIPA , Training and Supervising Analyst, Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Seattle, WA

Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo is a training and supervising psychoanalyst of the Venezuelan and Canadian Psychoanalytic Societies. He was associate professor at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and a former member of the editorial board of the 'International Journal of Psychoanalysis'. He maintains a private practice of psychoanalysis in Toronto, Canada.

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSABOUT THE AUTHOR PREFACE INTRODUCTIONCHAPTER ONE"Evicted from life": time distortion between pre-conceptual and conceptual traumasCHAPTER TWOThe mark of Cain: ego and superego narcissistic identifications with pre-conceptual traumasCHAPTER THREEThe conceptualisation of pre-conceptual traumas CHAPTER FOURThe unconscious: the messenger of truth from Bion's perspective of container-contained interaction CHAPTER FIVETransformation of pre-conceptual traumas: heteromorphic or homeomorphic symbolisations CHAPTER SIX"Deferred action" ("apres coup") and the emotional interaction between pre-conceptual and conceptual traumas CHAPTER SEVENPre-conceptual traumas as the tyrannical presence of absences CHAPTER EIGHTNegative and positive links as a form of communication in the traumatised and non-traumatised states (TS N-TS)CHAPTER NINEThe traumatised ego and the traumatising superego CHAPTER TENActing out pre-conceptual traumas: interruption of therapy and "catastrophic change"CHAPTER ELEVENPre-conceptual traumas: inflicted by chance and repeated by compulsion CHAPTER TWELVEThe world of sigma (S))CHAPTER THIRTEENThe triangle's entrapment: pre-conceptual traumas and the oedipal conditionCHAPTER FOURTEENAll pregnancies are twins: one baby in the uterus and one baby in the mind-pre-conceptual traumas and infertility CHAPTER FIFTEENChildren from the claustrum: pre-conceptual traumas and addiction CHAPTER SIXTEENPre-conceptual traumas and somatic pathology: the body's attempt to dream a repetitious undreamed dream CHAPTER SEVENTEENPre-conceptual traumas and totalitarianism, by Anamilagros Perez Morazzani and Rafael E. Lopez-CorvoNOTES REFERENCES INDEX

'In this insightful and original book, Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo cleverly explores what he describes as pre-conceptual traumas and conceptual traumas and the continuous interrelation between them. The result is a deeply intelligent, creative, and generous book that I highly recommend to all professionals in mental health who wish to further their understanding of this fundamental topic.'-Antonino Ferro, President of the Italian Psychoanalytical Society (SPI) and member of the American Psychoanalytic Association'Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo's book is an imaginative, stimulating, and thought-provoking study of the nature of psychic trauma and its treatment from the vantage point of pre-conceptual traumas.'-Professor Charles Hanly, past President of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA)'This book directs our attention to the earliest experiences in the development of the mind and spirit and to nonverbal and perhaps unspeakable experiences that become foundational in our development as humans. Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo's understanding of the pre-conceptual markers of traumatic experience within the clinical encounter and his ability to write about these 'presence-absences' enables us to understand and see ourselves and our patients more deeply and compassionately. His extension of Bion's approach adds to our appreciation of both what it is to be human and how we as clinicians work to increase aliveness.'-Judy K. Eekhoff, PhD, FIPA , Training and Supervising Analyst, Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Seattle, WA

Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo is a training and supervising psychoanalyst of the Venezuelan and Canadian Psychoanalytic Societies. He was associate professor at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and a former member of the editorial board of the 'International Journal of Psychoanalysis'. He maintains a private practice of psychoanalysis in Toronto, Canada.

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSABOUT THE AUTHOR PREFACE INTRODUCTIONCHAPTER ONE"Evicted from life": time distortion between pre-conceptual and conceptual traumasCHAPTER TWOThe mark of Cain: ego and superego narcissistic identifications with pre-conceptual traumasCHAPTER THREEThe conceptualisation of pre-conceptual traumas CHAPTER FOURThe unconscious: the messenger of truth from Bion's perspective of container-contained interaction CHAPTER FIVETransformation of pre-conceptual traumas: heteromorphic or homeomorphic symbolisations CHAPTER SIX"Deferred action" ("apres coup") and the emotional interaction between pre-conceptual and conceptual traumas CHAPTER SEVENPre-conceptual traumas as the tyrannical presence of absences CHAPTER EIGHTNegative and positive links as a form of communication in the traumatised and non-traumatised states (TS N-TS)CHAPTER NINEThe traumatised ego and the traumatising superego CHAPTER TENActing out pre-conceptual traumas: interruption of therapy and "catastrophic change"CHAPTER ELEVENPre-conceptual traumas: inflicted by chance and repeated by compulsion CHAPTER TWELVEThe world of sigma (S))CHAPTER THIRTEENThe triangle's entrapment: pre-conceptual traumas and the oedipal conditionCHAPTER FOURTEENAll pregnancies are twins: one baby in the uterus and one baby in the mind-pre-conceptual traumas and infertility CHAPTER FIFTEENChildren from the claustrum: pre-conceptual traumas and addiction CHAPTER SIXTEENPre-conceptual traumas and somatic pathology: the body's attempt to dream a repetitious undreamed dream CHAPTER SEVENTEENPre-conceptual traumas and totalitarianism, by Anamilagros Perez Morazzani and Rafael E. Lopez-CorvoNOTES REFERENCES INDEX

'In this insightful and original book, Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo cleverly explores what he describes as pre-conceptual traumas and conceptual traumas and the continuous interrelation between them. The result is a deeply intelligent, creative, and generous book that I highly recommend to all professionals in mental health who wish to further their understanding of this fundamental topic.'-Antonino Ferro, President of the Italian Psychoanalytical Society (SPI) and member of the American Psychoanalytic Association'Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo's book is an imaginative, stimulating, and thought-provoking study of the nature of psychic trauma and its treatment from the vantage point of pre-conceptual traumas.'-Professor Charles Hanly, past President of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA)'This book directs our attention to the earliest experiences in the development of the mind and spirit and to nonverbal and perhaps unspeakable experiences that become foundational in our development as humans. Rafael E. Lopez-Corvo's understanding of the pre-conceptual markers of traumatic experience within the clinical encounter and his ability to write about these 'presence-absences' enables us to understand and see ourselves and our patients more deeply and compassionately. His extension of Bion's approach adds to our appreciation of both what it is to be human and how we as clinicians work to increase aliveness.'-Judy K. Eekhoff, PhD, FIPA , Training and Supervising Analyst, Northwestern Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Seattle, WA