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Papers by ali Pajoohandeh

Free Associations: Psychoanalysis and Culture, Media, Groups, Politics, 2021

The film "Room," directed by Lenny Abrahamson and based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, is a gripp... more The film "Room," directed by Lenny Abrahamson and based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, is a gripping portrayal of captivity and resilience. Inspired by the real-life case of Elizabeth Fritzl, the story centers on Joy Newsome (played by Brie Larson) and her young son Jack, who live in confinement in a small room as prisoners of a psychotic man, Old Nick. The film explores the psychological complexities of their enforced isolation and the development of Jack’s psyche within these constraints. Joy, striving to protect her child, creates a complete world inside the room, shielding him from the harsh realities outside and teaching him to see their confined space as the entirety of existence. The narrative captures a profound psychoanalytic perspective as Joy's nurturing transforms their enclosed space into a realm of imagined safety, despite the omnipresent threat of their captor.

Through a psychoanalytic lens, "Room" emphasizes themes of maternal protection, the absence of a paternal figure, and the intricacies of identity formation in extreme circumstances. Jack’s development reflects Lacanian concepts, particularly the role of the "imaginary father" and the tensions inherent in defining the self in opposition to and in the absence of a paternal authority. The film effectively portrays Joy's internal conflict and her dynamic with Jack as they navigate the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion. By the end, as Joy and Jack escape and confront the outside world, the film climaxes in a poignant reflection on trauma, the power of maternal love, and the enduring human spirit. Through this narrative, Abrahamson and Donoghue engage viewers in a broader discourse on family dynamics, identity, and resilience against the backdrop of profound adversity.
A key concept introduced is the Transitional Time Object (TTO), where both Joy and Jack act as transitional objects for each other, helping them cope with their traumatic situation. Joy creates a protective environment in the room to shield Jack from the grim realities they face.
The article further highlights the tensions that arise post-escape, with Joy’s emotional dependence on Jack and her subsequent crisis when she can no longer use him as her TTO, resulting in a suicide attempt. This psychoanalytic perspective also critiques the broader societal issues concerning women in oppressive family structures, particularly relevant in developing countries. Through exploring these dynamics, the film’s narrative is shown to have broader implications beyond its immediate plot, touching on themes of captivity, motherhood, and psychological survival, resonating with the experiences of many women and children globally.

Neuro-psychoanalysis, 2024

In this article, we explore the Pcpt-Cs. (perceptual-consciousness) system in Freud’s work and it... more In this article, we explore the Pcpt-Cs. (perceptual-consciousness) system in Freud’s work and its relation to the subject of time perception, as well as its study from a neuroscience perspective. According to Freud, the Pcpt-Cs. system is a porous system located at the front of the psychic apparatus, on the border of the external and internal worlds. We first offer an overview of the Pcpt-Cs. system in Freud's papers throughout different years of his career. In this regard, we note that Freud considers our perception of time to be the result of a continuous and discontinuous connection between the unconscious and the external world through the Pcpt-Cs. system. In the second part, we review new studies concerning time perception in neuroscience. We suggest that we cannot locate a particular system characterized by the features that Freud attributed to the Pcpt-Cs. system in the brain. Nevertheless, if we are to point out the most similar part of the brain to the Pcpt-Cs. system based on what we have investigated throughout the present article, the systems involved in working memory would be our best suggestion.

Free Associations: Psychoanalysis and Culture, Media, Groups, Politics, 2020

Freud’s works are cumulative of notions about the concept of temporality but he never did systema... more Freud’s works are cumulative of notions about the concept of temporality but he never did systematic research on this subject. However, Freud dealt less with a fact which he later confessed to, the discontinuous perception of the functioning of the system perceptual– connections (Pcpt-Cs): its connection and relation to the formation of the concept of time within the subject. In this paper, I’m trying to take a look at the notion of time from an object relation perspective. I, on the basis of Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects and phenomena, have postulated two new concepts of transitional time objects and phenomena. I have suggested a new conceptual framework for understanding some complicated analytic issues such as transference and counter-transference, splitting, and some technical subjects as such silence in the analysis room. For this, I have brought some clinical vignettes in which one can find how the transitional time objects or phenomena work for both patient and analyst.

IJP-Open, 2021

It can be said that from centuries before Hesiod tells us about Cronus (the god of time), the hum... more It can be said that from centuries before Hesiod tells us about Cronus (the god of time), the human being was concerned about the discovery of the riddle of the time. He has always entertained himself with different means and has created various ways to overcome the difficulty of passing through time. I, in my two previous papers, have tried to depict a new theory about the origin of the sense of time in the human psyche. For this and with the help of Winnicott’s transitional objects and phenomena, I have proposed two new concepts of transitional time objects and phenomena, which are different from Winnicott’s concepts, however similar. In this paper, after pointing to these notions, I try to illustrate them from economic, topological, and dynamic aspects and their functions as the most eminent and fundamental components of our mental life. Also, with the help of Otto Rank’s Trauma of Birth and its importance for beginning the sense of time, I try to answer the queries that may arise in many people’s minds such, as why people fly from being alone and why some patients are afraid of silence. Finally, based on our new findings on the origin of the sense of time, a new understanding of the death drive has been suggested.

Neuro-psychoanalysis, Mar 30, 2024

Time as the most important feature or maybe fundamental describer of human normal experience also... more Time as the most important feature or maybe fundamental describer of human normal experience also is the most important forgotten of psychoanalysis. Fewer psychoanalysts can be found, except for Andre Green, Hartocolles, Arlow and sabbadini, who did systemically research on this subject. However Freud’s works are cumulative of notions about the concept of temporality but he never done systemically research on this subject. In this paper, I’m trying to take a look on the notion of time from an object relation perspective. I, on the basis of Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects and phenomena, have postulated two new concepts of transitional time objects and phenomena and have prepared a new conceptual framework for understanding some complicated analytic issues such as transference and counter-transference, splitting and some technical subjects as such the silence in analysis room.

International Forum of Psychoanalysis, 2021

Time as the most important feature or fundamental describer of normal human experience is also th... more Time as the most important feature or fundamental describer of normal human experience is also the most important forgotten element of psychoanalysis. Freud believed that the unconscious is timeless and that it perceives any given moment as new and immaculate. He did very little to illustrate the origin of time; however, he pointed to the function of the Pcpt-Cs. as the key to this riddle. After him, fewer psychoanalysts can be found, except for Andre Green, Hartocolles, Arlow, and Sabbadini, who systemically researched this subject. In this paper, I have studied the concept of time through the interdisciplinary perspective of psychoanalysis and physics and have applied formulas of time (in Physics) which gives us a better understanding of the sense of time in various states of the mind. I have claimed that this offers us a good viewpoint through which we can understand the sense of time in a spectrum from melancholia to psychosis/narcissism. Through clinical vignettes, I have tried to show how this formula works.

Free Associations: Psychoanalysis and Culture, Media, Groups, Politics, 2021

The film "Room," directed by Lenny Abrahamson and based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, is a gripp... more The film "Room," directed by Lenny Abrahamson and based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, is a gripping portrayal of captivity and resilience. Inspired by the real-life case of Elizabeth Fritzl, the story centers on Joy Newsome (played by Brie Larson) and her young son Jack, who live in confinement in a small room as prisoners of a psychotic man, Old Nick. The film explores the psychological complexities of their enforced isolation and the development of Jack’s psyche within these constraints. Joy, striving to protect her child, creates a complete world inside the room, shielding him from the harsh realities outside and teaching him to see their confined space as the entirety of existence. The narrative captures a profound psychoanalytic perspective as Joy's nurturing transforms their enclosed space into a realm of imagined safety, despite the omnipresent threat of their captor.

Through a psychoanalytic lens, "Room" emphasizes themes of maternal protection, the absence of a paternal figure, and the intricacies of identity formation in extreme circumstances. Jack’s development reflects Lacanian concepts, particularly the role of the "imaginary father" and the tensions inherent in defining the self in opposition to and in the absence of a paternal authority. The film effectively portrays Joy's internal conflict and her dynamic with Jack as they navigate the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion. By the end, as Joy and Jack escape and confront the outside world, the film climaxes in a poignant reflection on trauma, the power of maternal love, and the enduring human spirit. Through this narrative, Abrahamson and Donoghue engage viewers in a broader discourse on family dynamics, identity, and resilience against the backdrop of profound adversity.
A key concept introduced is the Transitional Time Object (TTO), where both Joy and Jack act as transitional objects for each other, helping them cope with their traumatic situation. Joy creates a protective environment in the room to shield Jack from the grim realities they face.
The article further highlights the tensions that arise post-escape, with Joy’s emotional dependence on Jack and her subsequent crisis when she can no longer use him as her TTO, resulting in a suicide attempt. This psychoanalytic perspective also critiques the broader societal issues concerning women in oppressive family structures, particularly relevant in developing countries. Through exploring these dynamics, the film’s narrative is shown to have broader implications beyond its immediate plot, touching on themes of captivity, motherhood, and psychological survival, resonating with the experiences of many women and children globally.

Neuro-psychoanalysis, 2024

In this article, we explore the Pcpt-Cs. (perceptual-consciousness) system in Freud’s work and it... more In this article, we explore the Pcpt-Cs. (perceptual-consciousness) system in Freud’s work and its relation to the subject of time perception, as well as its study from a neuroscience perspective. According to Freud, the Pcpt-Cs. system is a porous system located at the front of the psychic apparatus, on the border of the external and internal worlds. We first offer an overview of the Pcpt-Cs. system in Freud's papers throughout different years of his career. In this regard, we note that Freud considers our perception of time to be the result of a continuous and discontinuous connection between the unconscious and the external world through the Pcpt-Cs. system. In the second part, we review new studies concerning time perception in neuroscience. We suggest that we cannot locate a particular system characterized by the features that Freud attributed to the Pcpt-Cs. system in the brain. Nevertheless, if we are to point out the most similar part of the brain to the Pcpt-Cs. system based on what we have investigated throughout the present article, the systems involved in working memory would be our best suggestion.

Free Associations: Psychoanalysis and Culture, Media, Groups, Politics, 2020

Freud’s works are cumulative of notions about the concept of temporality but he never did systema... more Freud’s works are cumulative of notions about the concept of temporality but he never did systematic research on this subject. However, Freud dealt less with a fact which he later confessed to, the discontinuous perception of the functioning of the system perceptual– connections (Pcpt-Cs): its connection and relation to the formation of the concept of time within the subject. In this paper, I’m trying to take a look at the notion of time from an object relation perspective. I, on the basis of Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects and phenomena, have postulated two new concepts of transitional time objects and phenomena. I have suggested a new conceptual framework for understanding some complicated analytic issues such as transference and counter-transference, splitting, and some technical subjects as such silence in the analysis room. For this, I have brought some clinical vignettes in which one can find how the transitional time objects or phenomena work for both patient and analyst.

IJP-Open, 2021

It can be said that from centuries before Hesiod tells us about Cronus (the god of time), the hum... more It can be said that from centuries before Hesiod tells us about Cronus (the god of time), the human being was concerned about the discovery of the riddle of the time. He has always entertained himself with different means and has created various ways to overcome the difficulty of passing through time. I, in my two previous papers, have tried to depict a new theory about the origin of the sense of time in the human psyche. For this and with the help of Winnicott’s transitional objects and phenomena, I have proposed two new concepts of transitional time objects and phenomena, which are different from Winnicott’s concepts, however similar. In this paper, after pointing to these notions, I try to illustrate them from economic, topological, and dynamic aspects and their functions as the most eminent and fundamental components of our mental life. Also, with the help of Otto Rank’s Trauma of Birth and its importance for beginning the sense of time, I try to answer the queries that may arise in many people’s minds such, as why people fly from being alone and why some patients are afraid of silence. Finally, based on our new findings on the origin of the sense of time, a new understanding of the death drive has been suggested.

Neuro-psychoanalysis, Mar 30, 2024

Time as the most important feature or maybe fundamental describer of human normal experience also... more Time as the most important feature or maybe fundamental describer of human normal experience also is the most important forgotten of psychoanalysis. Fewer psychoanalysts can be found, except for Andre Green, Hartocolles, Arlow and sabbadini, who did systemically research on this subject. However Freud’s works are cumulative of notions about the concept of temporality but he never done systemically research on this subject. In this paper, I’m trying to take a look on the notion of time from an object relation perspective. I, on the basis of Winnicott’s concept of transitional objects and phenomena, have postulated two new concepts of transitional time objects and phenomena and have prepared a new conceptual framework for understanding some complicated analytic issues such as transference and counter-transference, splitting and some technical subjects as such the silence in analysis room.

International Forum of Psychoanalysis, 2021

Time as the most important feature or fundamental describer of normal human experience is also th... more Time as the most important feature or fundamental describer of normal human experience is also the most important forgotten element of psychoanalysis. Freud believed that the unconscious is timeless and that it perceives any given moment as new and immaculate. He did very little to illustrate the origin of time; however, he pointed to the function of the Pcpt-Cs. as the key to this riddle. After him, fewer psychoanalysts can be found, except for Andre Green, Hartocolles, Arlow, and Sabbadini, who systemically researched this subject. In this paper, I have studied the concept of time through the interdisciplinary perspective of psychoanalysis and physics and have applied formulas of time (in Physics) which gives us a better understanding of the sense of time in various states of the mind. I have claimed that this offers us a good viewpoint through which we can understand the sense of time in a spectrum from melancholia to psychosis/narcissism. Through clinical vignettes, I have tried to show how this formula works.