Asclepius: magic in transference to physicians.

Transference to physicians contains a fantasy of the physician as omnipotent healer who can control life and death. While there may be many variations of the fantasy that reflect differences in individual psychological makeup and experience, the fantasy of a multipotentialed, bisexual figure who can magically control the forces of nature is probably an element in all transference wishes that occur in a therapeutic setting. Material from the myth of Asclepius, from a patient of Freud's, and from two of the author's patients will be examined to elucidate this transference fantasy.