Reading Bion’s Transformations by Marina Ribeiro

Reading Bion’s Transformations by Marina Ribeiro

Reading Bion's Transformations is an in-depth reading of Bion’s 1965 work, Transformations, and investigates the epistemological concept of "O" introduced by Bion.

Throughout the book, Bion’s conceptual and unconventional text is discussed step-by-step, with a focus on the first three and last three chapters. The epistemological references are highlighted and analysed, allowing the reader insight into how to do a deconstructive psychoanalytic reading, acknowledging that Bion raised psychoanalytical thought and practice to new levels. The authors’ reading both de-focuses and re-focuses several theoretical statutes of O discussed by Bion in 1965.

Reading Bion’s Transformations is an essential read for those approaching Bion’s work for the first time, as well as those seeking to better understand his theories and the metapsychological and epistemological impact of the concept of transformation within psychoanalysis.

“This book will be of interest to those who are approaching Bion for the first time, to those who are specifically studying Bion's Transformations, but also to a general psychoanalytic readership who are interested in the metapsychological and epistemological implications of the concept of transformationI find this book particularly well calibrated towards a broad readership: the academic specialist, the well-read and mature psychoanalytic reader, and the novice. In this book, the authors apply a distinctive reading method specifically to Bion's Transformations (1965). It is a psychoanalytic deconstructive reading suitable to the exercise of (clinical) imagination, parameterized by consistent epistemological principles, the authors constantly focuses and defocuses the diverse statutes of the concept of transformations, with his vast and refined philosophical knowledge. This book will inspire many readings and re-readings of Bion, a seminal author.”

Elias Mallet da Rocha Barros is a training and supervising analyst and docent at the Brazilian Psychoanalytic Society of São Paulo (SBPSP); fellow of the British Psychoanalytic Society and Institute; past editor for Latin America for the International Journal of Psychoanalysis; co-chair for Latin America of the IPA Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychoanalysis; and the recipient of the 1999 Mary Sigourney Trust Award. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society.

Luís Cláudio Figueiredo, Psychoanalyst, PhD, retired Professor at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Sao Paulo – IPUSP; Professor and Research Supervisor for Master’s and PhD students in the Clinical Psychology Postgraduate Program at Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo; Member of the Psychoanalytic Circle of Rio de Janeiro; and author of 25 books on psychoanalysis in Portuguese, as well as numerous articles.

Marina F.R. Ribeiro, Psychoanalyst, PhD, Associate Professor and Research Supervisor for Master’s and PhD students in the Clinical Psychology Postgraduate Program at the University of São Paulo, and author of several books and papers in both Portuguese and English, including Why Read Ogden? The Importance of Thomas Ogden’s Work for Contemporary Psychoanalysis (Routledge, 2025).

Gina Tamburrino, Psychoanalyst, PhD, Professor and Clinical Supervisor at the Department of Training in Psychoanalysis at the Institute Sedes Sapientiae; Full Member of the Psychoanalysis Department at Institute Sedes Sapientiae; Professor and Coordinator of the course "Beyond countertransference: the implied psychoanalyst," at the same institute; and author of several books and papers.