Field Theory as a Metaphor and Metaphors in the Analytic Field and Process

This article deals with field theory issues in the frame of Latin American thought, linking it to the subject of metaphor in psychoanalysis. In the first part of this article, some general developments about the theme of metaphor and about metaphor in psychoanalysis are exposed. I present the concept of dynamic field theory in the vision of Madeleine and Willy Baranger; the metaphoric processes implicit in this theory, and interpretations formulated over different basic concepts. In the second part, I develop a personal perspective of the field theory, supporting myself on examples of my clinical practice. I describe the characteristics of moments of intense communication between patient and analyst and the metaphoric processes implicit in interpretations. These metaphoric processes enable the integration of different levels of the intersubjective experience created between patient and analyst. I postulate a dialectic point of view that allows the articulation of a situational perspective that studies the specific intersubjective moments of change in the analysis, with a vision that considers the process of analysis through time. Conclusions are formulated regarding the role of metaphor in analysis and the future of the field theory in the context of theoretical and technical pluralism of current psychoanalysis.