The “Unthought Known”: Christopher Bollas’ Revolutionary Psychoanalytic Concept and Its Contribution to Psychotherapy

Bollas’ work emphasizes the non-verbal and implicit dimensions of the psyche, a focus that has prompted new techniques for accessing and interpreting the unarticulated aspects of the unconscious, thereby enriching the therapeutic process. 

KEY POINTS:

• Central to Bollas’ contributions (e.g., The Shadow of the Object: Psychoanalysis of the Unthought Known; The Evocative Object World; Being a Character: Psychoanalysis and Self Experience; Cracking Up: The Work of Unconscious Experience) is the idea of the “unthought known,” a term that refers to the implicit, non-verbalized knowledge residing within the unconscious.
• This concept challenges the conventional emphasis on conscious thought, proposing that much of what we “know” about ourselves and our world remains unarticulated and exists beneath the surface of awareness.
• The unthought known encompasses a vast reservoir of insights, emotional truths, and intuitive understandings that inform our actions and relationships.
• The unthought known is not merely a passive repository but an active influence that shapes our perceptions and decisions. It comprises the tacit knowledge accumulated through early experiences and interactions, forming a backdrop against which new experiences are interpreted.
• In therapeutic settings, exploring the unthought known allows clients to uncover hidden aspects of their psyche, facilitating a process of self-discovery. By bringing these subconscious elements into consciousness, clients can achieve a more coherent and enriched understanding of themselves and their motivations.

Introduction: The Unthought Known

Christopher Bollas’ notion of the “unthought known” stands out as a particularly intriguing and influential contribution to the field. This concept, introduced in the 1980s, has since become a cornerstone in understanding the subtle nuances of human experience and the therapeutic process.

Bollas’ work on the unthought known offers new perspectives on the process of psychological growth and change. He suggests that therapeutic transformation often involves bringing aspects of the unthought known into conscious awareness, allowing for the integration of previously split-off or unprocessed aspects of experience. This process can lead to a more cohesive sense of self and more flexible and adaptive ways of relating to others.

The concept of the unthought known also has implications for how therapists approach the therapeutic frame and setting. Bollas emphasizes the importance of creating a “potential space” within the therapeutic relationship – a space that is neither fully internal nor fully external, but exists in between, allowing for play, creativity, and the emergence of new possibilities. In this spirit, therapists prioritize flexibility in their approach to boundaries and technique, allowing for moments of spontaneity and genuine encounter that can facilitate the emergence of the unthought known.

Genesis of the Unthought Known

The concept of the unthought known emerged from Bollas’ integration of traditional Freudian theory with insights from the British Object Relations School. This synthesis allowed Bollas to explore previously uncharted territories of the human psyche, focusing on those experiences that shape our lives profoundly yet remain beyond the reach of conscious thought.

Bollas’ formulation of the unthought known can be traced back to his observations of early childhood development and the intricate dance between infant and caregiver. He posited that during our formative years, we are continually “impressed” by the object world around us, absorbing a wealth of experiences that form the bedrock of our personality and worldview. These impressions, while deeply influential, often remain outside the realm of conscious awareness, operating as a kind of assumed knowledge that guides our interactions and perceptions.

The unthought known represents those aspects of our experience that have been lived but not yet consciously processed or articulated. It encompasses the myriad ways in which we have been shaped by our early environment, relationships, and encounters with the world. This concept challenges traditional notions of the unconscious by suggesting that there are elements of our psyche that are known to us on some level yet remain unthought in the sense that they have not been brought into the realm of conscious reflection or verbal expression.

The genesis of the unthought known concept also reflects Bollas’ interest in the aesthetic dimension of human experience. He recognized that our early encounters with the world leave an indelible mark on our psyche, shaping our sensibilities and preferences in ways that often elude conscious understanding.

The Nature of the Unthought Known

At its core, the unthought known represents a paradoxical state of awareness – a realm of experience that profoundly influences our lives yet remains just beyond the reach of conscious thought. This suggests that there are aspects of our psyche that we “know” on a deep level, even if we cannot articulate or fully comprehend them.

The nature of the unthought known is multifaceted and complex. It encompasses a wide range of experiences, from the subtle nuances of early object relations to the broader cultural and environmental influences that shape our worldview. These experiences are “known” in the sense that they have been lived and internalized, becoming an integral part of our psychological makeup. However, they remain “unthought” because they have not been processed through the lens of conscious reflection or verbal articulation.

One of the key characteristics of the unthought known is its pre-verbal nature. Many of the experiences that form this realm occur during infancy and early childhood, before the development of language skills. As a result, these experiences are stored in the psyche in non-verbal forms – as sensations, emotions, and bodily states rather than as coherent thoughts or memories. This pre-verbal quality makes the unthought known particularly challenging to access through traditional talk therapy methods, necessitating alternative approaches to bring these experiences into conscious awareness.

Another important aspect of the unthought known is its pervasive influence on our daily lives. While we may not be consciously aware of these internalized experiences, they shape our perceptions, reactions, and relationships in profound ways. They form the backdrop against which we interpret new experiences, influencing our emotional responses, our patterns of behavior, and our ways of relating to others.

The unthought known also plays a crucial role in the formation of our sense of self. Bollas suggests that these early, unprocessed experiences contribute significantly to the development of our “true self” – that core sense of identity that exists beneath our more conscious self-presentations. Understanding and accessing the unthought known can therefore be a powerful means of reconnecting with authentic aspects of ourselves that may have been obscured or neglected over time.

Manifestations of the Unthought Known

One of the primary manifestations of the unthought known is through our moods and emotional states. Bollas suggests that persistent moods often preserve elementary but pre-schematized states of mind from our early life. These moods may seem inexplicable or disproportionate to current circumstances, yet they carry within them echoes of early experiences that have not been fully processed or understood.

Another significant manifestation occurs in our patterns of relating to others. The complex early interplay between self and primary caregivers becomes internalized and forms a template for future relationships. These relational patterns, often operating outside of conscious awareness, can be seen as manifestations of the unthought known. They influence our expectations, our ways of connecting (or disconnecting) with others, and our interpretations of interpersonal dynamics.

The unthought known also reveals itself through our aesthetic experiences and preferences. Bollas emphasizes the importance of early aesthetic experiences in shaping our sensibilities and our ways of experiencing the world. These pre-verbal encounters with beauty, form, and sensory stimulation become part of our unthought known, influencing our tastes, our creative expressions, and our emotional responses to art, nature, and other aesthetic phenomena. By exploring our aesthetic experiences, we can gain access to deeper layers of our psyche and uncover aspects of our early object relations.

Bodily sensations and psychosomatic symptoms can also be understood as manifestations of the unthought known. Early experiences that have not been mentally processed may find expression through the body, leading to physical sensations or symptoms that seem disconnected from any apparent cause. These somatic manifestations can be seen as the body’s attempt to communicate aspects of the unthought known, highlighting the importance of attending to bodily experiences in therapeutic work.

Finally, the unthought known may manifest in moments of sudden insight or emotional breakthrough. These experiences, which can occur both within and outside of therapy, often involve a sense of recognizing something that was always known but never before articulated. Such moments of realization can be profoundly transformative, bringing aspects of the unthought known into conscious awareness and allowing for new levels of self-understanding and integration.

The Therapeutic Process and the Unthought Known

The concept of the unthought known has profound implications for our understanding of the therapeutic process and the mechanisms of psychological change. In Bollas’ framework, psychoanalysis and psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy are not merely about uncovering repressed material or resolving conflicts; they are also about creating the conditions necessary for the emergence and integration of aspects of the self that have never been fully thought or articulated.

One of the primary goals of therapy, from this perspective, is to create a space in which the unthought known can emerge and be explored. This involves establishing a therapeutic relationship characterized by trust, attunement, and a willingness to engage with the unknown. The therapist’s role is to provide a holding environment that can contain the client’s anxieties and uncertainties, while also fostering curiosity and openness to new experiences.

The process of working with the unthought known often involves a gradual unfolding of meaning over time. Unlike traditional interpretations that seek to provide immediate insight, working with the unthought known requires patience and a willingness to sit with ambiguity. The therapist and patient may engage in a process of mutual exploration, gradually piecing together fragments of experience and sensation to construct a more coherent narrative of the client’s inner world. An important aspect of the therapeutic process is the cultivation of what Bollas calls “generative uncertainty.” This involves creating a space in which both therapist and patient can tolerate not knowing, allowing for the emergence of new insights and experiences.

In the therapeutic setting, the unthought known often manifests through the client’s use of the therapist as an object. This process, which Bollas terms “object usage,” involves the client unconsciously manipulating the therapist into specific roles or states of mind that reflect aspects of the client’s early object relations. A key aspect of this therapeutic process is the use of what Bollas calls “evocative objects.” These are elements within the analytic situation – words, gestures, silences, or even the therapist’s presence itself – that serve to evoke aspects of the client’s unthought known. By paying attention to the client’s responses to these evocative objects, both therapist and client can begin to trace the contours of the unthought known and bring it into conscious awareness.

An important technique in accessing the unthought known is what Bollas calls “sensing.” This involves the therapist’s using his or her intuition and emotional sensitivity to identify moments of true self-activity in the client – those spontaneous gestures that seem to emerge from the core of the self. By gently drawing attention to these moments and creating space for their exploration, the therapist can help the client connect with aspects of his or her unthought known and bring them into conscious awareness.

As the therapeutic process unfolds, moments of insight or “recognition” may occur, in which aspects of the unthought known suddenly come into conscious awareness. These moments can be profoundly transformative, leading to a reorganization of the client’s sense of self and his or her ways of relating to others.

Finally, the therapeutic process involves helping the client develop new capacities for thinking and symbolizing his or her experiences. As aspects of the unthought known are brought into consciousness, the client may need support in developing new language and conceptual frameworks to articulate and make sense of these experiences. This process of symbolization can lead to a greater sense of agency and a more integrated sense of self.

Further Reading and Resources on Christopher Bollas

Below is a curated list of books, articles, and other materials for those interested in delving deeper into Christopher Bollas’ work:

Books by Christopher Bollas

• • The Shadow of the Object: Psychoanalysis of the Unthought Known
  • Being a Character: Psychoanalysis and Self Experience
  • The Evocative Object World

Articles

• • “The Transformational Object”

YouTube Presentations

• Bollas on “Mental Pain”

• Bollas on “Civilization and the Discontented”

Online Resources

• Christoher Bollas’ Website