Alliance inconsciente et symbiose

Abstract

René Kaës introduced in 1985 the concept of the “pact of denial,” defined as a pact based on what subjects deny or disclaim. Such a pact not only creates undifferentiated common spaces, but also leads to an interdependency that is vital for the subjects and for the bond between them. In other words, the pact of denial creates a symbiosis. The concept entails a major consequence for the understanding of certain symptoms, namely that their meaning cannot be deciphered merely within the limits of intrapsychic conflict analysis. The article explores the notion of unconscious alliance in the perspective of symbiosis and reviews its impact on the course of the analytical cure.