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WilfredBion
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

WilfredRuprechtBionDSO(/bin/8September1897
8November1979)wasaninfluentialBritishpsychoanalyst, WilfredBion
whobecamepresidentoftheBritishPsychoanalytical
Societyfrom1962to1965.[1]

BionhasbeentwinnedwithJacquesLacanas"inspired
bizarreanalysts...whodemandnotthattheirpatientsget
betterbutthattheypursueTruth".[2]'Bion'sideasarehighly
unique',sothathe'remainedlargerthanlifetoalmostall
whoencounteredhim'.[3]HehasbeenconsideredbyNeville
Symingtonaspossibly"thegreatestpsychoanalytic
thinker...afterFreud".[4]

Contents Born WilfredRuprechtBion

8September1897
1 Militaryservice Mathura,NorthWesternProvinces,
2 Career India
3 Groupdynamicsthe"basicassumptions" Died 28August1979(aged81)
4 Biononthinking
Oxford,England
4.1 Alphaelements,betaelements,andalpha
function Occupation psychoanalyst
4.2 Knowledge,loveandhate
Knownfor Grouppsychotherapy
4.3 ReversibleperspectiveandK
4.4 O:Theineffable Socioanalysis
5 Reverie Objectrelationstheory
6 LateBion Containmenttheory
7 Bibliography Spouse(s) BettyJardine
8 Seealso
FrancescaBion
9 References
10 Externallinks Children ParthenopeBionTalamo
11 Furtherreading

Militaryservice
BionwasborninMathura,NorthWesternProvinces,India,andeducatedatBishop'sStortfordCollegein
England.[5]AftertheoutbreakoftheFirstWorldWar,heservedintheTankCorpsasatankcommanderin
France,andwasawardedboththeDistinguishedServiceOrder(DSO)(on18February1918,forhisactionsat
theBattleofCambrai),[5][6]andtheCroixdeChevalieroftheLgiond'honneur.[7]Hefirstenteredthewarzone
on26June1917,[8]andwaspromotedtotemporarylieutenanton10June1918,[9]andtoactingcaptainon22
March1918,whenhetookcommandofatanksection,[10]heretainedtherankwhenhebecamesecondin
commandofatankcompanyon19October1918,[11]andrelinquishediton7January1919.[12]Hewas
demobilisedon1September1921,andwasgrantedtherankofcaptain.[13]ThefullcitationforhisDSOreads:

AwardedtheDistinguishedServiceOrder.

[...]
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T./2ndLt,WilfredRuprechtBion,TankCorps.

Forconspicuousgallantry,anddevotiontoduty.Whenin
commandofhistankinanattackheengagedalarge
numberofenemymachinegunsinstrongpositions,thus
assistingtheinfantrytoadvance.Whenhistankwasputout
ofactionbyadirecthitheoccupiedasectionoftrenchwith
hismenandmachinegunsandopenedfireontheenemy.
Hemovedaboutintheopen,givingdirectionstoother
tankswhentheyarrived,andatoneperiodfiredaLewis
gunwithgreateffectfromthetopofhistank.Healsogota
capturedmachinegunintoactionagainsttheenemy,and
whenreinforcementsarrivedhetookcommandofa
companyofinfantrywhosecommanderwaskilled.He
showedmagnificentcourageandinitiativeinamost
difficultsituation.[14]
WilfredBioninuniformin1916
"Bion'sdaughter,Parthenope...raisesthequestionofjusthow(andhow
far)herfatherwasshapedasananalystbyhiswartimeexperiences...under[p]inningBion'slaterconcernwith
thecoexistenceofregressedorprimitiveprotomentalstatesalongsidemoresophisticatedone".[15]

Career
AfterWorldWarI,BionstudiedhistoryatTheQueen'sCollege,Oxford,earningabachelorofartsdegreein
1922,thenstudyingmedicineatUniversityCollegeLondon.InitiallyattractedtoLondonbythe"strangenew
subjectcalledpsychoanalysis",hemetandwasimpressedbyWilfredTrotter,anoutstandingbrainsurgeonwho
publishedthefamousInstinctsoftheHerdinPeaceandWarin1916,basedonthehorrorsoftheFirstWorld
War.ThiswastoproveanimportantinfluenceonBion'sinterestingroupbehavior.Havingqualifiedin
medicinebymeansoftheConjointDiploma(MRCSEngland,LRCPLondon)in1930[16]Bionspentseven
yearsinpsychotherapeutictrainingattheTavistockClinic,anexperienceheregarded,inretrospect,ashaving
hadsomelimitations.Itdid,however,bringhimintofruitfulcontactwithSamuelBeckett.Hewantedtotrain
inPsychoanalysisandin1938hebeganatraininganalysiswithJohnRickman,butthiswasbroughttoanend
bytheSecondWorldWar.

HewasrecommissionedintheRoyalArmyMedicalCorpsasalieutenanton1April1940,[17]andworkedina
numberofmilitaryhospitalsincludingNorthfieldMilitaryHospital(HollymoorHospital,Birmingham)where
heinitiatedthefirstNorthfieldExperiment.Theseideasonthepsychoanalysisofgroupswerethentakenup
anddevelopedbyotherssuchasS.H.Foulkes,Rickman,Bridger,MainandPatrickDeMare.Theentiregroup
atTavistockhadinfactbeentakenintothearmy,andwereworkingonnewmethodsoftreatmentfor
psychiatriccasualties(thosesufferingposttraumaticstress,or"shellshock"asitwasthenknown.)Outofthis
hispioneeringworkingroupdynamics,associatedwiththe"Tavistockgroup",Bionwrotetheinfluential
ExperiencesinGroups,London:Tavistock,1961.ExperiencesinGroupswasanimportantguideforthegroup
psychotherapyandencountergroupmovementsbeginninginthe1960s,andquicklybecameatouchstonework
forapplicationsofgrouptheoryinawidevarietyoffields.

DuringthewarBion'swife,BettyJardine,gavebirthtoadaughter,but,tragically,shediedsoonafterwardsin
1945.Hisdaughter,Parthenope,becameahighlyregardedpsychoanalyst.Sheherselfdiedprematurely,inacar
crashinItalyin1998.

ReturningtotheTavistockClinicBionchairedthePlanningCommitteethatreorganizedtheTavistockintothe
newTavistockInstituteofHumanRelations,alongsideanewTavistockClinicwhichwaspartofthenewly
launchedNationalHealthService.Ashisinterestinpsychoanalysisincreased,heunderwenttraininganalysis,
between19461952,withMelanieKlein.Hemethissecondwife,Francesca,attheTavistockin1951.He
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joinedaresearchgroupofKlein'sstudents(includingHannaSegalandHerbertRosenfeld),whowere
developingKlein'stheoryoftheparanoidschizoidposition,foruseintheanalysisofpatientswithpsychotic
disorders,andbecamealeadingmemberoftheKleinianschool.Heproducedaseriesofhighlyoriginaland
influentialpapers(collectedas"SecondThoughts",1967)ontheanalysisofschizophrenia,andthespecifically
cognitive,perceptual,andidentityproblemsofsuchpatients.

Bion'stheories,whichwerealwaysbasedinthephenomenaoftheanalyticencounter,eventuallyrevealed
radicaldeparturesfrombothKleinianandFreudiantheory.[18]Atonepoint,heattemptedtounderstand
thoughtsandthinkingfromamathematicalandscientificpointofview,believingtheretobetoolittleprecision
intheexistingvocabulary,aprocessculminatingin"TheGrid".[19]Laterheabandonedthecomplex,abstract
applicationsofmathematics,andtheGrid,anddevelopedamoreintuitiveapproach,epitomisedintheMemoir
oftheFuture.

HespenthislateryearsinLosAngeles,California,beforereturningtotheUKshortlybeforehisdeathat
Oxford.

HeleftareputationwhichhassteadilygrownbothinBritainandinternationally.Somecommentatorsconsider
thathiswritingsareoftengnomicandirritating,butneverfailtostimulate.Hedefiescategorisationasa
followerofKleinorofFreud.WhileBionismostwellknownoutsideofthepsychoanalyticcommunityforhis
workongroupdynamics,thepsychoanalyticconversationthatexploreshisworkismainlyconcernedwithhis
theoryofthinking,andhismodelofthedevelopmentofacapacityforthought.

Groupdynamicsthe"basicassumptions"
WilfredBion'sobservationsabouttheroleofgroupprocessesingroupdynamicsaresetoutinExperiencesin
Groupswherehereferstorecurrentemotionalstatesofgroupsasbasicassumptions.Bionarguesthatinevery
group,twogroupsareactuallypresent:theworkgroup,andthebasicassumptiongroup.Theworkgroupis
thataspectofgroupfunctioningwhichhastodowiththeprimarytaskofthegroupwhatthegrouphas
formedtoaccomplishwill'keepthegroupanchoredtoasophisticatedandrationallevelofbehaviour'.[20]The
basicassumptiongroupdescribesthetacitunderlyingassumptionsonwhichthebehaviourofthegroupis
based.Bionspecificallyidentifiedthreebasicassumptions:dependency,fightflight,andpairing.[21]Whena
groupadoptsanyoneofthesebasicassumptions,itinterfereswiththetaskthegroupisattemptingto
accomplish.Bionbelievedthatinterpretationbythetherapistofthisaspectofgroupdynamicswouldresultin
insightregardingeffectivegroupwork.[22]

Independency,theessentialaimofthegroupistoattainsecuritythrough,andhaveitsmembersprotectedby,
oneindividual.Thebasicassumptioninthisgroupcultureseemstobethatanexternalobjectexistswhose
functionitistoprovidesecurityfortheimmatureindividual.[23]Thegroupmembersbehavepassively,andact
asthoughtheleader,bycontrast,isomnipotentandomniscient.Forexample,theleadermayposeaquestion
onlytobegreetedwithdocilesilence,asthoughheorshehadnotspokenatall.Theleadermaybeidealized
intoakindofgodwhocantakecareofhisorherchildren,andsomeespeciallyambitiousleadersmaybe
susceptibletothisrole.Resentmentatbeingdependentmayeventuallyleadthegroupmembersto"takedown"
theleader,andthensearchforanewleadertorepeattheprocess.

Inthebasicassumptionoffightflight,thegroupbehavesasthoughithasmettopreserveitselfatallcosts,and
thatthiscanonlybedonebyrunningawayfromsomeoneorfightingsomeoneorsomething.Infight,thegroup
maybecharacterizedbyaggressivenessandhostilityinflight,thegroupmaychitchat,tellstories,arrivelate
oranyotheractivitiesthatservetoavoidaddressingthetaskathand.Theleaderforthissortofgroupisone
whocanmobilizethegroupforattack,orleaditinflight.

Thefinalbasicassumptiongroup,pairing,existsontheassumptionthatthegrouphasmetforthepurposeof
reproductionthebasicassumptionthattwopeoplecanbemettogetherforonlyonepurpose,andthatasexual
one'.[24]Twopeople,regardlessthesexofeither,carryouttheworkofthegroupthroughtheircontinued

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interaction.Theremaininggroupmemberslisteneagerlyandattentivelywithasenseofreliefandhopeful
anticipation.

Bionconsideredthat"thethreebasicassumptiongroupsseemeachinturntobeaggregatesofindividuals
sharingoutbetweenthemthecharacteristicsofonecharacterintheOedipalsituation".[25]BehindtheOedipal
level,however,Bionpostulatedtheexistenceofstillmoreprimitive,partobjectphantasiesand'themore
disturbedthegroup,themoreeasilydiscerniblearetheseprimitivephantasiesandmechanisms'.[26]Such
phantasieswouldprovethemainfocusofBion'sinterestafterhissecond(Kleinian)analysis.

Biononthinking
"Duringthe1950sand1960s,BiontransformedMelanieKlein'stheoriesofinfantilephantasy...intoan
epistemological"theoryofthinking"ofhisown."[27]Bionusedashisstartingpointthephenomenologyofthe
analytichour,highlightingthetwoprinciplesof"theemergenceoftruthandmentalgrowth.Themindgrows
throughexposuretotruth."[28]Thefoundationforbothmentaldevelopmentandtruthare,forBion,emotional
experience.[29]

Theevolutionofemotionalexperienceintothecapacityforthought,andthepotentialderailmentofthis
process,aretheprimaryphenomenadescribedinBion'smodel.Throughhishypothesizedalphaandbeta
elements,Bionprovidesalanguagetohelponethinkaboutwhatisoccurringduringtheanalytichour.These
toolsareintendedforuseoutsidethehourinthecliniciansreflectiveprocess.Toattempttoapplyhismodels
duringtheanalyticsessionviolatesthebasicprinciplewhereby"Bionhadadvocatedstartingeverysession
'withoutmemory,desireorunderstanding'hisantidotetothoseintrusiveinfluencesthatotherwisethreatento
distorttheanalyticprocess."[30]

Alphaelements,betaelements,andalphafunction

Bioncreatedatheoryofthinkingbasedonchangingbetaelements(unmetabolizedpsyche/soma/affective
experience)intoalphaelements(thoughtsthatcanbethoughtbythethinker).Betaelementswereseenas
cognatetotheunderpinningsofthe"basicassumptions"identifiedinhisworkwithgroups:"thefundamental
anxietiesthatunderliethebasicassumptiongroupresistanceswereoriginallythoughtofasprotomental
phenomena...forerunnersofBion'slaterconceptofbetaelements."[31]Theywereequallyconceptual
developmentsfromhisworkonprojectiveidentificationfromthe"minutelysplit'particles'"Bionsawas
expelledinpathologicalp.i.bythepsychotic,whowouldthengoonto"lodgethemintheangry,socalled
'bizarreobjects'bywhichhefeelspersecutedandcontrolled".[32]For"theserawbitsofexperiencehecalled
betaelements...tobeactivelyhandledandmadeuseofbythemindtheymust,throughwhatBioncallsalpha
functions,becomealphaelements".[33]

elements,elementsandfunctionareelementsthatBion(1963)hypothesizes.Hedoesnotconsider
elements,elements,norfunctiontoactuallyexist.Thetermsareinsteadtoolsforthinkingaboutwhatis
beingobserved.Theyareelementswhosequalitiesremainunsaturated,meaningwecannotknowthefullextent
orscopeoftheirmeaning,sotheyareintendedastoolsforthoughtratherthanrealthingstobeacceptedatface
value(1962,p.3).

Biontookforgrantedthattheinfantrequiresamindtohelpittolerateandorganizeexperience.ForBion,
thoughtsexistpriortothedevelopmentofanapparatusforthinking.Theapparatusforthinking,thecapacityto
havethoughts"hastobecalledintoexistencetocopewiththoughts"(1967,p.111).Thoughtsexistpriorto
theirrealization.Thinking,thecapacitytothinkthethoughtswhichalreadyexist,developsthroughanother
mindprovidingfunction(1962,p.83)throughthe"container"roleofmaternalreverie.

Tolearnfromexperiencealphafunctionmustoperateontheawarenessoftheemotionalexperiencealpha
elementsareproducedfromtheimpressionsoftheexperiencethesearethusmadestorableandavailablefor
dreamthoughtsandforunconsciouswakingthinking...Ifthereareonlybetaelements,whichcannotbemade
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unconscious,therecanbenorepression,suppression,orlearning.(Bion,1962,p.8)

functionworksuponundigestedfacts,impressions,andsensations,thatcannotbementalizedbeta
elements.functiondigestselements,makingthemavailableforthought(1962,pp.67).

Betaelementsarenotamenabletouseindreamthoughtsbutaresuitedforuseinprojective
identification.Theyareinfluentialinproducingactingout.Theseareobjectsthatcanbeevacuated
orusedforakindofthinkingthatdependsonmanipulationofwhatarefelttobethingsin
themselvesasiftosubstitutesuchmanipulationsforwordsorideas...Alphafunctiontransforms
senseimpressionsintoalphaelementswhichresemble,andmayinfactbeidenticalwith,the
visualimageswithwhichwearefamiliarindreams,namely,theelementsthatFreudregardsas
yieldingtheirlatentcontentwhentheanalysthasinterpretedthem.Failureofalphafunctionmeans
thepatientcannotdreamandthereforecannotsleep.Asalphafunctionmakesthesense
impressionsoftheemotionalexperienceavailableforconsciousanddreamthoughtthepatient
whocannotdreamcannotgotosleepandcannotwakeup.(1962,pp.67)

Knowledge,loveandhate

Successfulapplicationofalphafunctionleadsto"thecapacitytotoleratetheactualfrustrationinvolvedin
learning("K")that[Bion]calls'learningfromexperience'".[34]Theoppositeofknowledge"K"waswhatBion
termed"K":"theprocessthatstrips,denudes,anddevaluespersons,experiences,andideas."[35]

BothKandKinteractforBionwithLoveandHate,aslinkswithintheanalyticrelationship."The
complexitiesoftheemotionallink,whetherLoveorHateorKnowledge[L,H,andKtheBionicrelational
triad]"[36]produceeverchanging"atmospheric"effectsintheanalyticsituation.Thepatient'sfocusmaywish
tobe"onLoveandHate(LandH)ratherthantheknowledge(K)thatisproperlyatstakeinpsychoanalytic
inquiry."[37]

ForBion,"knowledgeisnotathingwehave,butalinkbetweenourselvesandwhatweknow...Kisbeing
willingtoknowbutnotinsistingonknowledge."[38]Bycontrast,Kis"notjustignorancebuttheactive
avoidanceofknowledge,oreventhewishtodestroythecapacityforit"[39]and"enactswhat'Attackson
Linking'identifiesashatredofemotion,hatredofreality,hatredoflifeitself."[40]

Lookingforthesourceofsuchhate(H),BionnotesinLearningfromExperiencethat,"Inevitablyonewonders
atvariouspointsintheinvestigationwhysuchaphenomenonasthatrepresentedbyKshouldexist....Ishall
consideronefactoronlyEnvy.BythistermImeanthephenomenondescribedbyMelanieKleininEnvy
andGratitude"(1962,p.96).

ReversibleperspectiveandK

"ReversiblePerspective"wasatermcoinedbyBiontoilluminate"apeculiaranddeadlyformofanalytic
impassewhichdefendsagainstpsychicpain".[41]Itrepresentstheclashof"twoindependentlyexperienced
viewsorphenomenawhosemeaningsareincompatible".[42]InBion'sownwords,"Reversibleperspectiveis
evidenceofpainthepatientreversesperspectivesoastomakeadynamicsituationstatic."[43]

AssummarisedbyEtchegoyen,"Reversibleperspectiveisanextremecaseofrigidityofthought....AsBion
says,whatismostcharacteristicinsuchcasesisthemanifestaccordandthelatentdiscord."[44]Inclinical
contexts,whatmayhappenisthattheanalyst's"interpretationisaccepted,butthepremiseshavebeenrejected
...theactualspecificity,thesubstanceoftheinterpretation".[45]Reversibleperspectiveisanaspectof"the
potentialdestructionanddeformationofknowledge"[43]oneoftheattacksonlinkingofK.

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O:Theineffable

Ashisthoughtcontinuedtodevelop,Bioncametouse"reversibleperspectiveasananalytictoolforexamining
psychoanalyticphenomenafrombothsidestogetastereoscopic(binocular)perspective"[46]something
whichmaybelinkedtohisincreasingconcernwithwhathetermed"O"theunknowable,orultimateTruth.
"Inaesthetics,BionisaneoKantianforwhomreality,orthethinginitself(O),canonlybeknownthroughits
sensoryperception."[47]Intermsofindividualexperience,Bionwouldspeakof"anintensecatastrophic
emotionalexplosionO,"[48]whichcouldonlybeknownthroughitsaftereffects.Wherebeforehehadvalorised
knowledge(K),nowhewouldspeakaswellof"resistancetotheshiftfromtransformationsinvolvingK
(knowledge)totransformationsinvolvingO...resistancetotheunknowable".[49]Hencehisinjunctionstothe
analysttoeschewmemoryanddesire,to"bringtobearadiminutionofthe'light'apenetratingbeamof
darknessareciprocalofthesearchlight.Ifanyobjectexisted,howeverfaint,itwouldshowupvery
clearly".[50]

Reverie
Bion'sconceptofmaternal"reverie"asthecapacitytosense(andmakesenseof)whatisgoingoninsidethe
infant[51]hasbeenanimportantelementinpostKleinianthought:"Reverieisanactoffaithinunconscious
process...essentialtoalphafunction'"[52]ItisconsideredtheequivalentofStern'sattunement,orWinnicott's
maternalpreoccupation.

Intherapy,theanalyst'suseof"reverie"isanimportanttoolinhis/herresponsetothepatient'smaterial:"Itis
thiscapacityforplayingwithapatient'simagesthatBionencouraged".[53]

LateBion
"ForthelaterBion,thepsychoanalyticencounterwasitselfasiteofturbulence,'amentalspaceforfurther
ideaswhichmayyetbedeveloped'."[54]Inhisunorthodoxquesttomaintainsuch"mentalspace",Bion"spent
thefinalyearsofhislonganddistinguishedprofessionallife[writing]afuturistictrilogyinwhichheis
answerabletonoonebuthimself,AMemoiroftheFuture."[54]

Ifweacceptthat"Bionintroducedanewformofpedagogyinhiswritings...[via]thedensityandnonlinearity
ofhisprose",[55]itcomesperhapstoapeakhereinwhathehimselftermed"afictitiousaccountof
psychoanalysisincludinganartificiallyconstructeddream...sciencefiction".[56]Wemayconcludeatleastthat
heachievedhisstatedgoaltherein:"TopreventsomeonewhoKNOWSfromfillingtheemptyspace".[57]

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ofaLife).(EditedbyF.Bion).Abingdon:TheFleetwood
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Vol.2MainlyPractice(pp.1721)London:Routledge
1988].
Bion,W.R.(1970).AttentionandInterpretation.
London:TavistockPublications.[ReprintedLondon:
KarnacBooks1984].ReprintedinSevenServants
(1977e).
Bion,W.R.(1992).Cogitations.(EditedbyF.Bion).
London:KarnacBooks.
Bion,W.R.(1997a).TamingWildThoughts.(Editedby
F.Bion).London:KarnacBooks.
Bion,W.R.(1997b).WarMemoirs19171919.(Edited
byF.Bion).London:KarnacBooks.
Bion,WilfredR(1999).SeminarheldinParis,10July
1978.TranscribedbyFrancescaBionSept

Seealso
Bizarreobject Negativecapability TavistockInstitute
ErnestJones Objectrelationstheory Unthoughtknown
HenryEzriel Paranoidanxiety
IgnacioMatteBlanco Projectiveidentification
MelanieKlein Socioanalysis
Negativecapability TavistockInstitute
References
1."WilfredBion".http://www.psychreg.org/.Psychreg.Retrieved14August2015.Externallinkin|website=(help)
2.AdamPhillips,OnFlirtation(London1994)p.136
3.JamesT.Grotstein,ABeamofIntenseDarkness(London2007).pp.910.
4.NevilleSymington,Narcissism:ANewTheory(London2003).p.97.
5.MalcolmPines,'Bion,WilfredRuprecht(18971979)'(http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/51057),Oxford
DictionaryofNationalBiography,OxfordUniversityPress,September2004onlineedition,May2007.
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51057(https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F51057).Retrieved20080910.
6.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.30530.p.2156(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30530/supplemen
t/2156).15February1918.Retrieved10September2008.
7.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.31150.p.1446(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31150/supplement/
1446).28January1919.Retrieved10September2008.
8.MedalcardforBion,WilfredRuprecht(http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/detailsresult.asp?Edoc
_Id=1455108),DocumentsOnline,TheNationalArchives(feemayberequiredtoviewfulloriginalmedalcard).
Retrieved20080910.
9.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.30778.p.7865(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30778/supplemen
t/7865).2July1918.Retrieved10September2008.
10.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.30791.p.8164(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30791/supplemen
t/8164).9July1918.Retrieved10September2008.
11.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.31056.p.14550(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31056/suppleme
nt/14550).6December1918.Retrieved10September2008.
12.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.31272.p.4505(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31272/supplemen
t/4505).4April1919.Retrieved10September2008.
13.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.32542.pp.1000010002(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32542/s
upplement/10000).7December1921.Retrieved10September2008.
14.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.30801.p.8439(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30801/supplemen
t/8439).16July1918.Retrieved10September2008.
15.MaryJacobus,ThePoeticsofPsychoanalysis(Oxford2005)p.193andn
16.TheMedicalDirectory,125thedition,1969
17.TheLondonGazette:(Supplement)no.34843.pp.27032704(https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34843/sup
plement/2703).3May1940.Retrieved10September2008.
18.SymingtonJ.&SymingtonN..TheClinicalThinkingofWilfredBion(London1996)pp.1213
19.Bion:BasicAssumptions&TheGrid(http://www.psyche.com/psyche/mt/archives/000021.html)
20.W.R.Bion,ExperiencesinGroups(London1980)p.66
21.MargaretJ.Rioch,"TheWorkofWilfredBiononGroups",1970.
22.Page194to196,IrvinD.Yalom,TheTheoryandPracticeofGroupPsychotherapy,thirdedition,BasicBooks
(1985),hardback,ISBN0465084478
23.Bion,Experiencesp.74
24.Bion,Experiencesp.62

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25.Bion,Experiencesp.161
26.Bion,Experiencesp.1645
27.Jacobus,p.174
28.Symington&Symington,1996,pp.23
29.Bion,1962,Intro&pp.56.
30.PatrickCasement,FurtherLearningfromthePatient(London1990)p.10
31.Grotstein,inRichardMorganJones,TheBodyoftheOrganisationanditsHealth(London2010)p.26
32.Jacobus,pp.2067
33.MichaelParsons,TheDovethatReturns,theDovethatVanishes(London2000)p.198
34.Jacobus,p.193
35.Jacobus,p.192
36.Jacobus,p.233
37.Jacobus,p.240
38.Parsons,p.67andp.48
39.Parsons,p.48
40.Jacobus,p.222
41.MaryJacobus,ThePoeticsofPsychoanalysis(London2005)p.43
42.Jacobus,p.261
43.Jacobus,p.243
44.F.HoracioEtchegoyen,TheFundamentalsofPsychoanalyticTechnique(London2005)pp.7702
45.RuthR.Malcolm,"Asif",inRobinAndersoned.,ClinicalLecturesonKleinandBion(London1982)p.116andp.
118
46.JamesS.Grotstein,ButattheSameTimeandonAnotherLevel(London2009)p.337
47.Jacobus,p.227
48.QuotedinJacobus,p.251n
49.Jacobus,pp.2512
50.BionquotedinPatrickCasement,OnLearningfromthePatient(London1990)p.223
51.Jacobus,p.160n
52.MichaelParsons,pp.2001
53.PatrickCasement,OnLearningfromthePatient(London1990)p.37
54.Jacobus,p.258
55.Grotstein,Beamp.17
56.Bion,quotedinJacobus,p.261
57.Bion,quotedinJacobus,p.259

Externallinks
WilfredBiononPsychreg(http://www.psychreg.org/wilfredbion/)
"ASeminarHeldinParis"byBion,onlineinfull(http://braungardt.trialectics.com/projects/psychoanalys
is/bion/seminarinparis)
UsefulsummaryofBionRobertYoungbook(http://humannature.com/rmyoung/papers/pap148h.html)
Bion:BasicAssumptions&TheGrid(http://www.psyche.com/psyche/mt/archives/000021.html)
Biontalks(videoclip,07:11)(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r68oInRsFEI)Excerptfromaseminar
attheTavistockClinicMondayJuly4,1977.

Furtherreading
Bleandonu,Gerard,WilfredBion:HisLifeandWorks.FreeAssociationBooks,London,1994
Grinberg,Leon.NewIntroductiontotheWorkofBion.KarnacBooks,London,1977
Symington,NevilleandJoan.TheClinicalThinkingofWilfredBion.Routledge,London,1996
MichaelEigen,TheElectrifiedTightrope(London2004)
MichaelEigen,"ContactWiththeDepths",London,2011.
LpezCorvo,Rafael,TheDictionaryoftheWorkofW.R.Bion,KarnacBooks,London,2003
DonaldMeltzer,DreamLife:AReExaminationofthePsychoAnalyticalTheoryandTechnique
Publisher:KarnacBooks,1983,ISBN0902965174
DonaldMeltzer,StudiesinExtendedMetapsychology:ClinicalApplicationsofBion'sIdeas.Perthshire:
CluniePress,1986

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JosephMintz,ProfessionalUncertainty,KnowledgeandRelationshipintheClassroom:APsychosocial
PerspectiveLondonRoutledge2014
PauloCesarSandler,TheLanguageofBion:ADictionaryofConcepts(London2005)
MegHarrisWilliams,Bion'sDream:AReadingoftheAutobiographiesLondon:Karnac,2010
LpezCorvo,RafalE.,WildThoughtsSearchingforaThinker,AClinicalApplicationofW.R.Bion's
Theories.KaranacBooks,London,2006.
LpezCorvo,RafalE.,TraumatisedandNonTraumatisedStatesofthePersonality:AClinical
UnderstandingUsingBion'sApproach.KarnacBooks,London,2014.

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Categories: 1897births 1979deaths RoyalTankRegimentofficers RoyalArmyMedicalCorpsofficers

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