Michael Eigen

American psychologist and psychoanalyst

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Michael Eigen

Born| (1936-01-11)11 January 1936

Passaic, New Jersey, United States

Nationality| American
Occupation| Psychoanalyst
Known for| Mysticism in psychoanalysis
Spouse| Betty Gitelman
Children| 2

Michael (Mike) Eigen (born January 11, 1936) is an American psychologist and psychoanalyst.[1] He is the author of 27 books and numerous papers. He has given a private seminar on Donald Winnicott, Wilfred Bion, Jacques Lacan and his own work since the 1970s.[2] Eigen is known for his work with patients "who had been given up on by others",[3] including people who experience psychosis.

## Biography

[edit]

Eigen was born in Passaic, New Jersey, to a Jewish family,[4] the son of Jeanette (née Brody), a teacher, and Sol, a lawyer.[5] Eigen received his B.A. (with honors) in 1957 from the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD in 1974 from The New School.[2][5] He married Betty Gitelman on December 27, 1980. Betty is also a therapist. Eigen stated that he admires her and says that she “can help and treat people no one else can help.” [6] They have two sons, David and Jacob.

## Therapeutic approach

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Eigen relates to his patients with humility and curiosity. He learns from his patients.[3] In talking about his approach to therapy, he stated that "I am hoping, praying that something real, useful, something that touches another soul happens, something that helps others feel how much there is to feel, how precious psychic reality is, how precious and complex and amazing we are."[7]

## Mysticism

[edit]

Eigen integrates mysticism and spirituality into his work with psychoanalysis.[8][9] He draws on the work of a number of analysts and spiritual traditions in this work.[1] He explained that he is "not a scholar, systematic reader, or follower of any school."[3] Eigen is particularly engaged with the work of Wilfred Bion. Eigen described how "Bion uses many images and expressions from religious and mystical life to portray psychoanalytic processes."[10]

## Writings

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### Selected articles

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* "On Breathing and Identity". Journal of Humanistic Psychology, (1977) 17(3), 35–39. 10.1177/002216787701700304
* "The Area of Faith in Winnicott, Lacan, and Bion". International Journal of the Psychoanalytic Association, (1981) 64: 413-33
* "Dream Images". Journal of Religion and Health, (2004) 43(2), 115–122.
* "Beginnings and Endings in Therapy". ISPS-US Newsletter, (2007) 8(2): 8.
* "Incommunicado core and boundless supporting unknown". European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, (2007) 9: 415-22
* "Life kills, aliveness kills". New Therapist, (2012) 76 The Bad Edition.
* "O, Orgasm and Beyond". Psychoanalytic Dialogues, (2015) 25(5), 646–654.
* "Affect Images and States". The Journal of Humanistic Psychology, (2019) 59(5), 714–719.

### Books

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* The Psychotic Core (1986)[11][1][12]
* Psychic Deadness (1996)[1]
* The Psychoanalytic Mystic (1998)[13][14][15]
* Toxic Nourishment (1999)[16]
* Ecstasy (2001)[12][17]
* Damaged Bonds (2001)[16]
* Rage (2002)[12]
* The Sensitive Self (2004)
* The Electrified Tightrope (2004)
* Emotional Storm (2005)[11]
* Feeling Matters (2006)[12][18]
* Age of Psychopathy (2006)[8]
* Conversations with Michael Eigen (with Aner Grovin) (2007)
* Flames from the Unconscious (2009)
* Eigen in Seoul: Volume 1: Madness and Murder (2010)[1]
* Eigen in Seoul: Volume 2: Faith and Transformation (2011)[1]
* Contact with the Depths (2011)[18]
* Kabbalah and Psychoanalysis (2012)[1]
* Reshaping the Self: Reflections on Renewal Through Therapy (2013)
* A Felt Sense: More Explorations of Psychoanalysis and Kabbalah (2014)
* The Birth of Experience (2014)
* Faith (2014)
* Image, Sense, Infinities, and Everyday Life (2015)
* Under the Totem: In Search of a Path (2016)
* The Challenge of Being Human (2018)[19]
* Dialogues with Michael Eigen: Psyche Singing, ed.: Loray Daws (2019)[20]
* Eigen in Seoul Volume Three: Pain and Beauty, Terror and Wonder (2021)

## See also

[edit]

* Wilfred Bion
* Jacques Lacan
* Donald Winnicott
* Marion Milner

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Daws, Loray (2022). Michael Eigen: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge. ISBN 9781003002871. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
2. ^ a b "Michael Eigen, Ph.D." NYU Arts & Science. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
3. ^ a b c Eigen, Michael (1998). Shivers. In J. Reppen (Ed.) Why I Became a Psychotherapist. Aronson, 1998, pp. 81-85.
4. ^ Michael Eigen, The Electrified Tightrope, ed. Adam Phillips, New York: Routledge, 2018 [1993].
5. ^ a b Contemporary Authors: A Bio-Bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television, 1985, p. 145.
6. ^ Therapist from the Depths: A Conversation with Michael Eigen - TikkunTikkun. 21 May 2013, https://www.tikkun.org/therapist-from-the-depths-a-conversation-with-michael-eigen/.
7. ^ Michael Eigen, 2020, Dialogues with Michael Eigen : psyche singing. Relational perspectives book series.
8. ^ a b Fuchsman, Ken; Cohen, Keri S., eds. (2021). Healing, Rebirth and the Work of Michael Eigen: Collected Essays on a Pioneer in Psychoanalysis. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000338669. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
9. ^ Bar Nes, Alice (2021). "Eigen: Faith and turbulence – The psychoanalytic mystic". Psychoanalysis, Mysticism and the Problem of Epistemology: Defining the Indefinable. Routledge. ISBN 9781003200796. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
10. ^ Michael Eigen, The Psychoanalytic Mystic, 1998
11. ^ a b Bagai, Robin (2022). Commentaries on the Work of Michael Eigen: Oblivion and Wisdom, Madness and Music. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000685824. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
12. ^ a b c d Bloch, Stephen; Daws, Loray, eds. (2018). Living Moments: On the Work of Michael Eigen. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780429915765. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
13. ^ Schermer, Victor L (Spring 2001). "Review: The Psychoanalytic Mystic". The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research. 10 (2): 137–138. Retrieved 6 April 2025.137-138&rft.date=2001&rft.aulast=Schermer&rft.aufirst=Victor+L&rft_id=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3330642/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Michael+Eigen" class="Z3988">
14. ^ Newton, Kathleen (Jul 1999). "Review: The Psychoanalytic Mystic". International Journal of Psychotherapy. 4 (2): 248–251.248-251&rft.date=1999-07&rft.aulast=Newton&rft.aufirst=Kathleen&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Michael+Eigen" class="Z3988">
15. ^ Gold, Naomi (Spring 1999). "Review: The Psychoanalytic Mystic". Canadian Journal of Psychoanalysis. 7 (1): 140–143. Retrieved 6 April 2025.140-143&rft.date=1999&rft.aulast=Gold&rft.aufirst=Naomi&rft_id=https://www.proquest.com/openview/9fd5c0d2e642250ea62ed9d41565cba3/1?cbl=44050&pq-origsite;=gscholar#&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Michael+Eigen" class="Z3988">
16. ^ a b Cohen, Keri S.; Daws, Loray, eds. (2024). Toxic Nourishment and Damaged Bonds in the Work of Michael Eigen: Working with the Obstructive Object. ISBN 9781040032459. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
17. ^ Hudak, Glenn M. (March 2004). "Book Review: ECSTASY. By Michael Eigen". Journal of Religion & Health. 43 (1): 76–78\. doi:10.1023/B:JORH.0000009987.09472.8b.76-78&rft.date=2004-03&rft_id=info:doi/10.1023/B:JORH.0000009987.09472.8b&rft.aulast=Hudak&rft.aufirst=Glenn+M.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Michael+Eigen" class="Z3988">
18. ^ a b Daws, Loray; Cohen, Keri S., eds. (2024). Primary Process Impacts and Dreaming the Undreamable Object in the Work of Michael Eigen: Becoming the Welcoming Object. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781003322993. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
19. ^ Molofsky, Merle (Sep 2020). "The Challenge of Being Human, by Michael Eigen". American Journal of Psychoanalysis. 80 (3): 379–381\. doi:10.1057/s11231-020-09254-y.379-381&rft.date=2020-09&rft_id=info:doi/10.1057/s11231-020-09254-y&rft.aulast=Molofsky&rft.aufirst=Merle&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Michael+Eigen" class="Z3988">
20. ^ Del Nevo, Michael (2023). "Book Review: Dialogues with Michael Eigen: Psyche Singing". The European Legacy. 28 (5): 541–544\. doi:10.1080/10848770.2023.2178738. Retrieved 6 April 2025.541-544&rft.date=2023&rft_id=info:doi/10.1080/10848770.2023.2178738&rft.aulast=Del+Nevo&rft.aufirst=Michael&rft_id=https://www-tandfonline-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1080/10848770.2023.2178738?needAccess=true&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Michael+Eigen" class="Z3988">

## Further reading

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* Anthony Molino (1996): Elaborate Selves: Reflections and Reveries of Christopher Bollas, Michael Eigen, Polly Young-Eisendrath, Samuel and Evelyn Laeuchli, and Marie Coleman Nelson
* Stephen A. Mitchell/Lewis Aron eds. (2013): Relational Psychoanalysis Vol I

## External links

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* Therapist from the Depths

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Netherlands
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Other|

* IdRef