Explorations in Bion's 'O': Everything We Know Nothing About

Wilfred Bion described "O" as "the unknowable and the unreachable ultimate truth". In this fascinating collection, a range of authors offer their own theoretical, clinical and artistic approaches to exploring this enduring but mysterious idea.

Drawn from contributions from the 8th International Bion Conference in 2014, the book examines how "O" can be experienced in all aspects of internal and external reality and within all relationships, from an individual relating to the mother to their emotional relationship with their self. It features insights into "O" drawn from the area of faith as well as its manifestations in clinical practice, while also included is a chapter exploring the links between Bion’s ideas and those of Winnicott, Lacan, Green and Freud.

Featuring contributions from some of the world’s leading Bion scholars, this will be essential reading for any psychoanalyst interested in exploring the concept of "O", as well as scholars in philosophy and theology.

Afsaneh K. Alisobhani (Psy.D.) is a training and supervising psychoanalyst, a faculty member and the past Vice President of Newport Psychoanalytic Institute, and a member of the New Center for Psychoanalysis. She is a member of the faculty at the University of California, Irvine, School of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and a member of the University of California/NCP Interdisciplinary Psychoanalytic Consortium since 2002. She was the co-chair of the International Bion Conference in Los Angeles in 2014. She is the founding member, faculty and supervisor at Tehran Center for Psychoanalytic Studies (TCPS) in Tehran, Iran. She is a lecturer and supervisor in the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy program at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) and Ruzbeh Hospital in Tehran, Iran. She is also a supervisor and lecturer at China American Psychoanalytic Alliance.

Glenda J. Corstorphine (Psy.D.) is a training and supervising analyst and faculty member and the past Vice President of Newport Psychoanalytic Institute. Prior to receiving her doctorate from NPI she received a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Masters in Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a former board member at NPI and former Director of NPI’s Pasadena campus. She was the co-chair of the International Bion Conference in Los Angeles, 2014. She has been in private practice in Pasadena, CA, for over 25 years.