Emergence

Emergence refers to situations in which it appears one gets something for nothing. A phenomenon is emergent when it has significant aspects that are more than the sum of its parts. The term covers instances where joining components creates something that could not happen if they remained separate and situations where, from a human perspective, something new unexpectedly appears. This paper explores the origins of emergence in complex systems and shows how an appreciation of emergence informs psychoanalytic listening, understanding, and technique.