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Although the capacity to mourn is ubiquitously acknowledged as critical for individual psychic functioning, the impact of this capacity on a collective social level has been examined to a very limited extent in the psychoanalytic literature to date. The two papers that take up this this topic thus bring various critical and complex issues to our attention. After reviewing and commenting on these papers, I discuss how these issues are particularly relevant today to society in general and psychoanalysis in particular. I believe that the ability to mourn is under siege in the Western world at present, with respect to both "macro" mourning that is, mourning for significant losses such as a beloved person, ideal, or country, and "micro" mourning or mourning for losses inherently and unavoidably implicated in choices we make in everyday life. These mourning processes are undermined by the impact of complex socioeconomic parameters on psychic functioning, as evidenced by various internal problems and symptomatology characteristic of our times. In turn, difficulties in mourning contribute to social problems including social injustice, wars and the climate crisis. As psychoanalysts we are called upon to address these issues in our clinical work as well as in our global community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an exploration of gratitude as a fundamental concept in psychoanalysis. Melanie Klein’s classic article “Envy and Gratitude” (1957) named gratitude at one pole on an axis of human suffering and flourishing, but with a few notable exceptions, the article stimulated research into envy. This paper explores the historical and philosophical traditions that have, to some extent unconsciously, influenced our contemporary understandings of gratitude. The paper also works to explore the social and ethical meanings of gratitude as well as gratitude’s psychoanalytic significance. The aim is to uncover the overall psychic significance of gratitude and its place in human flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the ways in which psychoanalytic perspectives may have been limited by the Western cultural context in which they originated and explores the potential of the Indian cultural imagination to broaden psychoanalytic thinking about ego formation, the nature of Eros, bisexuality, and individuation. The case is made for the need to retain the diverse perspectives offered by the cultural imaginations of different civilisations despite the globalization of ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dana Birksted-Breen, the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis from 2007 to 2022, passed away on June 1, 2024. She was known for her extensive experience and influence as a psychoanalytic editor, as well as her generosity in promoting others and helping authors improve their submissions. Dana's own papers demonstrated a unique blend of creativity, sensitivity, and deep knowledge of classical and contemporary psychoanalysis. She made significant contributions to the International Journal during her 15-year tenure, maintaining high standards while exploring new trends and encouraging diverse perspectives from around the world. Dana's book of collected papers, "The Work of Psychoanalysis, Sexuality, Time and the Psychoanalytic Mind," is considered an important publication in contemporary psychoanalysis. Her contributions to the field will be remembered and celebrated in a forthcoming issue of the journal. [Extracted from the article]