1 Notes on memory and desire WILFRED BION ‘These notes were frst published in 1967 ia The Prychoanalytic Forum, 2: 272-3, 279-80. Several analysts cook part in the discussion but only Bion’s contribution is reprinted here, ‘Memory is always misleading 2s a record of fact since itis distorted by the influence of unconscious forces! Desires interfere, by absence of mind ‘when observation is essential, with the operation of judgement™Desires dlstore judgement by selection and suppression of material to be judged. Memory and desire exercise and intensify those aspects of the mind that derive from sensuous experience. They thus promote capacity derived from sense impressions and designed to serve impressions of sense. They deal respectively with sense impressions of what is supposed to have happened and sense impressions of what has not yet happened. 3 (Psychoanalysic ‘observation’ is concerned neither with what has happened nor with what is going to happen but with what i happening Furthermore it is not concerned with sense impressions or objects oF sense. Any paychoanalyse knows depression, anxiety, fear and other aspects of paychic realty whether those aspects have been or can be successfully named or not. These are the psychoanalyst’s real world. Of its realty he has no doubt. Yer anxiey, to take one example, has no shape, no smell, no taste; awareness of the sensuous accompaniments of motional expetience are 2 hindrance to the peychosnalyst’s incuition of the reality with which he must be at one. Every session attended by the psychoanalyst must have no history and. no future What is ‘known’ about the patient is of no further consequence: itis cither false or irrelevant, If it is ‘known’ by patient and analyst, it is obsolete. If it is ‘known’ by che one but not the other, a defence or grid category 2 element (Bion 1963, 1965) is operating. The only point of Jmportance in any session is the unknown. Nothing must be allowed to 7¢ <0 istact from intuiting that ‘ Te say session, evolution takes place” Out of the darkness and formlcsmese something evolves. That evolution can bear 2 superficial ‘eamplance to memory, but once it has been experienced it cam never be TSafounded with memory. Yt shares with dreams the quality of being Grell present or unaccountably and suddenly absent. Thi evolution # ‘What the psychoanalyst must be ready £0 interpret. "To do this he needs to discipline his thoughts. First and foremost, a¢ every paychoanalyst knows, he must have had as thorough an analysis 38 Soouble: nothing. said here must be taken as casting doubt on, chat, Berend, he must cukivate a wafchfol avoidance of memory. Notes should te contined to matters which can be recorded — the programme of appointments is an obvious example. ‘Obey the following rules: 1) Memory: do not remember past sessions. The greater the impulse to Mem oe Tha has been sid or done, the more dhe need to resist eee pute cam present ict a2 wish ro remember someting we ingpend becase it appeats to have precipitated an emotional aeette cis should be allowed to breach this role. The supposed care mouat not be allowed to occupy the mind. Otherwise the evela- cree hc coon wil nt be observed atthe only dime when i ean be observed — while it taking place. 2, Doses he paychounalyst can sar by avoiding any desires for the ea ng cn of the session (or week, or term). Desires for rents, wee Ge even understanding must not be allowed to proliferate. “These rules must be obeyed all the time and not simply during the seasons. In time the psychoanalyst will become more sware of the frestare of memories and desires and more skied at eschewing them. TFs Gin is llowed hee wil bean cen of me ogni a as, ba x mt ervation of the so Ths Keocedore should be stated st once and not abandoned on any pretext whatever. ‘The pattern of analysis wil change. Roughly speaking, the patient will pot appear to develop over 4 period of time but each seston will be comple in itself. ‘Progress’ will be measured by the increased number sot variety of moods, ideas and atiudes seen in any given session. There Tin be less clogging of the sessions by che repetition of material which Thould have disappeared and, consequently, a quickened tempo within tach session every session. “The peychoanalyst should sim at achicving a sae of mind 20 that at very setion he fels he has not seen the patient before, If he fels he 18 a tonconclf tot ForenBION: Notes on memory and desire tas, he is eeating the wrong patient This procedute is extremely penetrating. Therefore the psychoanalyst aust aim at 2 steady exchision of memory and desire and not be soo disturbed ifthe emule appear alarming at frst He wil become used to it and he will have the consolation of building his psychoanalytic techni «que on a firm basis of inting evolution and not on the shifting sand of sight experience impecfecily remembered which rapidly gives way to experience but neurologially certain decay of mental faculty. The evelv~ ing session is unmistakable and the intiting of it does not deterocate lf given a chance it sears carly and decays ate The foregoing is a brief account distilled from patting the precepts advocated into practice. The theoretial implications can be worked out Q by each psychoanalyst for himselt. His interpretations should. gain in force and conviction — both for himself and his patient — becase they derive from the emotional experience with a unique individeal and not from generalized theories impececly ‘emembered Author's response ‘The discussants of my ‘Notes on memory and desire’ help to make it clear chat some of the confusion arises through the ambiguity of the terms ‘memory’ and ‘desire’ | realize that it would be helpful if | could distinguish between ewo different phenomena which are both usually and indifferently called ‘memory’. This I have tried to do by speaking of one as ‘evolution’, by which I mean the experience where some idea or pictorial impression floats into, the mind unbidden and as a whole. From this T wish co distinguish ideas which present themselves in response to a deliberate and conscious attempt at recall; for this last reserve the term ‘memory’. ‘Memory’ I keep for experience related predominantly to sensuous impressions: ‘evolution’ I regard as based on experience which has no sensuous background but is expressed in terms which are derived from the language of sensuous experience. For example, I ‘s#', meaning. | ‘intuit ehrough the medium of 4 visual impression’. ‘Desire’ should not be distinguished from ‘memory’, as I prefer that the terms should represent one phenomenon which ie a suffusion of both. I have tried to express this by saying ‘memory’ is the past tense of ‘desire’, ‘anticipation’ being its future tense. ‘These definitory hypotheses have a limited value, and I suggest chat every psychoanalyst should make up his mind for himself by simple experimentation as to what these terms represent, For example, he should school himself to avoid thinking of the end of the session, week or term (having made previous provision for terminating the session. at the 19ing each seep before taking another, sap proredure seems to me to approximate 2 state which Freud iiferbe in sles to Lou Andeas-Salomé, 23 May 1916: T Leone ded ‘concentrate all make eon the one dick passage” a my expeincr this reece Zak: posible to inrie« prevene ‘evolution’ and ly the eee The more firmly this is done, the less the ng it mks ler some of the points to which De French objec, oueh am doubeful whether this method should be sacl af ne really Gia he is “completely unable co understand. Indests Tween, Hate anyone fo employ this approach ules, ke Dr Lindon he gaat it has some meaning for him, sug experience which Dr Lindon describes appears to me to afford the Randation for exploring the whole question ef prychomalyen nee, Fo canailes draws atencion toa defect of which Iam very conscious My own feling i that my views have ‘evolved and sltheach eee oe rratoaney, HVE, changed, T think the ‘change lee signifies: tare ‘evolution’. 1 think the expressions ‘he to innovation if i seems eo be secewary but becruse i is unely thatthe inmiions of caperoneed 20BION: Notes on memory and desive psychoanalysts can be lightly lad aside. I do hope, however, that the points I make may help psychoanalyst to think themselves into closer contact with the psychoanalytic experience. ‘Darwin expressed the view that judgement was inimical to observa~ Bion, bur, as Dr Brierley points out, the psychoanalyst has to formulate Jindgements while observations are being made. I hope the distinction hhave tried to draw between ‘evolution’ and ‘memory’ may help to meet hher objections. 1 believe it would go some way towards meeting Dr Herskovite’s objection to ‘illogicaltes'. I do in any case feel doubts sbout the value of a logical theory to represent the realizations of psychoanalysis. I think the ‘logical’ theory and the ‘illogicalities’ of the psychoanalytic experience should be permitted to coexist until the ‘observed disharmony is resolved by ‘evolution’ References Bion, W.R. (1963) Elements of Piyche-Analyss, London: Heinemann; reprinted in paperback, Maresfield Reprints, London: H. Karnac Books (1384) —— (1965) Transformations, London: Heinemann; reprinted in paper back, Maresficld Reprints, London: H. Karnac Books (1984)