Sacred Psychoanalysis - etheses Repository - University of ...

spirituality without becoming gods. Interpreting children in this way takes us into the next
section on unconscious presence.
The unconscious present – unconscious presence
The rationale for a psychoanalytic intersubjective interview methodology as a distinct
qualitative research tool lies in accepting the notion of the unconscious as a workable
hypothesis and utilizing tools to explore this developed by psychoanalysis. Three analytic
techniques were adopted: free association; transference; and the use of metaphors/dreams.
Firstly, free association is advocated by Bollas as the essential form of psychoanalytic being
(Bollas 2007) and sees a return to Freud who advocates that analysis should progress
‘aimlessly, and allows oneself to be overtaken by any surprises, always presenting to them
an open mind, free from any expectations.’ 385 While I had a structure for the interviews
with several prepared questions, these were allowed to appear in the interview at a space
and time that arose out of the interview itself. There were moments where the interview
flowed in a free-associative form as I did not impose order on the interview itself. AL may
be an exception to this where I felt I drove the interview: however, even here there were
areas we explored that I had not imagined - particularly the talking about children. Such a
free associative form also allowed the interviewees to ask questions balancing any potential
power imbalance always present in interview settings (Gubrium and Holstein 2002, 2003).
AP asked me what theologians I read. JB wanted to continue the conversation in a lift and a
garage. AN wanted to know more about me but restrained himself due to time constraints.
385 Taken from Freud’s Collected Papers translated by Riviere, p. 327. Strachey’s translation is less fluent ‘the
most successful cases are those in which one proceeds … without any purpose in view, allows oneself to be
taken by surprise by any new turn in them, and always meets them with an open mind, free from any
presuppositions’ (Freud 1912: 114).
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