Different Meanings of Fantasy and Phantasy: The Influence of North American Pragmatism vs. European Phenomenology

The term "fantasy" is foundational to psychoanalysis, yet its clinical application varies dramatically across the Atlantic. While all schools share a common Freudian root, the British Kleinian tradition added something additional. It developed the concept of "unconscious phantasy" as a continuous, somatic, and structural undercurrent of the psyche. This talk will explore these divergent definitions, tracing their development from Freud’s central usage to his subsidiary notions of fantasy in his concepts of hallucinatory wish-fulfillment and negation. We will examine how North American psychoanalysis has remained largely aligned with a Pragmatist worldview, viewing fantasy as a discrete mental product, while the British Independent and Kleinian schools moved toward a Phenomenological stance, viewing phantasy as the very architecture of lived experience. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how these philosophical underpinnings shape contemporary clinical work in different schools of psychoanalysis.

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Event Location

Seminar | Saturday, May 16, 11:45AM - 1:15PM

About the Event.

The term "fantasy" is foundational to psychoanalysis, yet its clinical application varies dramatically across the Atlantic. While all schools share a common Freudian root, the British Kleinian tradition added something additional. It developed the concept of "unconscious phantasy" as a continuous, somatic, and structural undercurrent of the psyche. This talk will explore these divergent definitions, tracing their development from Freud’s central usage to his subsidiary notions of fantasy in his concepts of hallucinatory wish-fulfillment and negation. We will examine how North American psychoanalysis has remained largely aligned with a Pragmatist worldview, viewing fantasy as a discrete mental product, while the British Independent and Kleinian schools moved toward a Phenomenological stance, viewing phantasy as the very architecture of lived experience. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how these philosophical underpinnings shape contemporary clinical work in different schools of psychoanalysis.

Learning Objectives.

1. Differentiate between "Fantasy" and "Phantasy" by identifying at least two clinical distinctions between the North American pragmatic approach and the British phenomenological approach to unconscious mental life.

2. Trace the evolution of the concept of Phantasy from Freud’s papers on "Hallucinatory Wish-Fulfillment" and "Negation" to the Kleinian definitions provided by Susan Isaacs and Melanie Klein

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CME/ CE Statement.

ACCME Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and Psychoanalytic Association of New York. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement

The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Statement

The APsA CE Committee has reviewed the materials for accredited continuing education and has determined that this activity is not related to the product line of ineligible companies and therefore, the activity meets the exception outlined in Standard 3: ACCME's identification, mitigation and disclosure of relevant financial relationship. This activity does not have any known commercial support.

Psychoanalytic Association of New York (affiliated with NYU Grossman School of Medicine) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0112.

Psychoanalytic Association of New York, affiliated with NYU School of Medicine is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0124.

Psychoanalytic Association of New York is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts #P0064.

Psychoanalytic Association of New York is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0304.

Different Meanings of Fantasy and Phantasy: The Influence of North American Pragmatism vs. European Phenomenology

Event Location

About the Event.

About Our Speaker.

Nasir Ilahi, LLM, LP

Learning Objectives.

CME/ CE Statement.

Citations.

How to Prepare.

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