Name: Truth and Psychoanalysis - The Poetry, Art and Science of Psychoanalysis in Bion’s O
Start: 2026-03-12T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-03-12T20:00:00+01:00
Location: Anti

$Truth and Psychoanalysis - The Poetry, Art and Science of Psychoanalysis in Bion\u2019s O$

During the spring of 2026 Aning - Association for Philosophy and Psychoanalysis will present 5 lectures loosely knit together with the topic of "Truth and knowledge". We will discuss the clitoris, truth in art, the psychoanalytical ethic of honesty, masochism, truth that disrupts knowledge and much more.
All lectures will be in english are free of charge and will take place at Anti Bookstore (Stora Nygatan 18) between 18.00 and 20.00. To guarantee a seat you will have to be there some time before it starts.
If you have any questions you can send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. The events are made possible in cooporation with Psykoterapicentrum, Folkuniversitetet, Folkuniversitetsföreningen and Bertil Wennborgs Stiftelse.
8/2 - Clitoris' Saga - Rise, Triumph, and Decline of the Clitoris (Sergio Benvenuto)
12/3 - Truth and Psychoanalysis - The Poetry, Art and Science of Psychoanalysis in Bion’s O
(Annie Reiner)
26/4 - Truth or Knowledge - A psychoanalytic point of view
(Judith Mitrani)
24/5 - The psychoanalyic ethic of honesty - Implications for self-defeating patients
(Nancy McWilliams
13/6 - Is Psychoanalysis a Truth-Procedure?
(Lorenzo Chiesa)
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Abstract for 12/3:
The following statement by Bion is essential to his idea of O, and so is essential to his ideas about truth.
"It would be useful if we could recognize that all these various disciplines – music, painting, psychoanalysis and so on ad infinitum – are engaged on the same search for truth." (Bion, 1978, p. 43)
Dr. Annie Reiner, who studied with Bion in the late 1970;s, will talk about his most mysterious and most controversial concept of O, representing absolute truth, ultimate reality, the infinite, and the Godhead. She will discuss this with reference to the various disciplines Bion mentions in the quote above. Although the means of expression in each of these disciplines is vastly different, Dr. Reiner will look into the similarities in the states of mind needed to gain access to this elusive experience of O, for while Bion saw O as the central psychoanalytic perspective, it is also the necessary perspective for the poet, artist, writer, and scientist, or really in any creative endeavor. As an artist and a poet, as well as a psychoanalyst, Dr. Reiner is familiar with the similarities and the differences in these various approaches to truth. This is the focus of her new book, The Poetry, Art and Science of Psychoanalysis in Bion’s O (Reiner, September, 2025), and she will give examples from each of these disciplines, as well as sharing some of her own poems that served for her as a sort of synopsis of these ideas.
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Annie Reiner is an american psychoanalyst and training analyst at The Psychoanalytic Center Of California. She works in private practice in Beverly Hills. Reiner have a Ph.D and a Psy.D in psychoanalysis. Her psychoanalytic writings have been published in various journals and anthologies. Much of her works explores and expands the theories of Wilfred Bion, with whom she studied in the mid 70´s. Reiner is also a playwright, poet and painter.