Looks That Kill the Capacity for Thought

In this paper I explore ways in which the fundamental balance between life and death forces is portrayed within the Oedipus myth, showing how there are times when, as theorists, we are blind to the on-going dynamic polarities contained within the myth. Using clinical case material I explore the vicissitudes of the theme of infanticide and the impact of the infanticidal impulse on thinking processes and how things come together in the mind. I consider the link between the infanticidal impulse and what may be being symbolized by physiological problems with eyes and wombs. I give examples of the clinical use I have made of a variety of theoretical ideas which enabled my capacity for thought at those times when much of what was taking place was unthinkable.