Abstract:

Although loneliness as a distinct entity has been relatively neglected by psychoanalysts, it is in the domain of psychoanalysis that solitude, as a state of being alone, has long ago been described as a fundamental human experience and has been ascribed a plethora of meanings. In this chapter, various psychoanalytic views on the origins of this type of solitude and its developmental course during the first years of life are discussed and evaluated, organized around four dimensions: the fear of solitude and separation anxiety, the solitary self, the ability to be alone and the necessity of being alone, as well as the companionable nature of solitude. Next, a brief overview of existing research, some of which was conducted by psychoanalysts, revealing aspects of aloneness experience early in life, is presented. Finally, conclusions and future directions centre around the paradoxical nature of solitude from the beginning of life.

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