This handbook written by 140 scientists provides clear explanations, based on a standardized scheme, of the fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis. In addition to the definition of the terms, the classic understanding of them and their background in the history of ideas, and the further development of classical psychoanalysis into the individual schools are described in detail. At the same time, the handbook picks up from interdisciplinary debates by entering into a dialogue with neighbouring fields such as biology, psychology, sociology and cultural studies. Psychoanalysis, which many have repeatedly described as being obsolete and outdated, proves in this dictionary to be extremely creative and expansive. Those who are interested in the fundamental development of awareness, which is only conceivable through the inclusion of unconscious processes, will receive countless fresh ideas from this work. This fourth edition of the handbook has added the following concepts: general theory of seduction, desire, the occult, de-objectification, deciding, decision, implicit relationship knowledge, intersubjectivity, conversation, performance, psychodynamics, subject, separation anxiety & separation, unconscious & the Unconscious II, father metaphor, and transformational object.

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Mertens lehrte Psychoanalyse und Psychodynamische Forschung an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Mit Beiträgen von:
Wolfgang Mertens, Thomas Auchter, Werner Balzer, Rosmarie Barwinski, Markus Bassler, Nikolaus Becker, Karin Bell, Wolfgang Berner, Ulrich Berns, Siegfried Bettighofer, Manfred Beutel, Lorenz Böllinger, Werner Bohleber, Brigitte Boothe, Georg Bruns, Michael Buchholz, Dieter Bürgin, Ralph Butzer, Thomas Charlier, Peter Conzen, Gerhard Dammann, Joachim Danckwardt, Josef Dantlgraber, Eckard Daser, Martin Dornes, Heinrich Deserno, Birger Dulz, Annegret Eckhardt-Henn, Wolfram Ehlers, Martin Ehlert Balzer, Michael Ermann, Harald J. Freyberger, Gottfried Fischer, Willi Frings, Oskar Frischenschlager, Gudrun Fuchs, Peter Geißler, Hanna Gekle, Alf Gerlach, Patrizia Giampieri-Deutsch, Ludger van Gisteren, Günter Gödde, Ralph Grabhorn, Tilman Grande, Jürgen Grieser, Ludwig Haesler, Andreas Hamburger, Norbert Hartkamp, Hans-Peter Hartmann, Stephan Hau, Rolf Haubl, Robert Heim, Reinhard Hellmann, Peter Henningsen, Heinz Henseler, Reinhard Herold, Gereon Heuft, Helmut Hinz, Mathias Hirsch, Albrecht Hirschmüller, Udo Hock, Michael Hölzer, Rainer Holm-Hadulla, Hans-Peter Kapfhammer, Otto F. Kernberg, Ingrid Kerz-Rühling, Matthias Kettner, Vera King, Günther Klug, Rolf Klüwer, Thomas Köhler, Karl König, Hartmuth König, Jürgen Körner, Hartmut Kraft, Rainer Krause, Reinhard Kreische, Joachim Küchenhoff, Martin Kurthen, Ross Lazar, Falk Leichsenring, Günter Lempa, Wolfgang Leuschner, Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber, Elfriede Löchel, Mathias Lohmer, Christiane Ludwig-Körner, Christian Maier, Stavros Mentzos, Wolfgang Milch, Angela More, Thomas Müller, Heinz Müller Pozzi, Waltraud Nagell, Dietmut Niedecken, Bernd Nitzschke, Gerd Overbeck, Diana Pflichthofer, Reinhard Plassmann, Doris Pouget-Schors, Hans Quint, Hartmut Raguse, Udo Rauchfleisch, Günter Reich, Stefan Reichard, Reimut Reiche, Christian Heinrich Röder, Ulrich Rüger, Sabine Saalfeld, Cordelia Schmidt-Hellerau, Matthias Schmutz, Karin Schneider-Henn, Hellen Schoenhals Hart, Lothar Schon, Alfred Schöpf, Ulrich Schultz-Venrath, Gerhard Schüßler, Günter Seidler, Lucia Steinmetzer, Achim Stephan, Bernhard Strauß, Timo Storck, Ulrich Streeck, Dieter Tenbrink, Cornelia Thürheimer, Winfrid Trimborn, Rolf Vogt, Heribert Wahl, Ruth Waldeck, Bruno Waldvogel, Rolf-Peter Warsitz, Peter Wegner, Heinz Weiß, Franz Wellendorf, Corinna Wernz, Jörg Wiesse, Herbert Will, Lutz Wittmann, Wolfgang Wöller, Michael Wolf und Siegfried Zepf