The genesis of interpretation.

Opinions regarding the significance of the analyst's response to his patient's productions differ. This response is only one of many steps by which the analyst understands his patient's productions. In this paper, I have suggested a rationale for the process of the origin of insight. There is a split in the analyst's functioning, corresponding to what takes place in the patient. Through a transitory identification with the patient--empathy--the process of intuition is facilitated. The analyst conceptualizes the clinical data outside of consciousness. The end product is the analyst's inner response, made conscious to him through introspection. The analyst's response is a form of inner communication. It has to be made consonant with the patient's material according to disciplined, cognitive criteria before being formulated into an interpretation.