This book explores the underlying mechanisms of the psyche. It traces the development of the individual and, in particular, the development of the sense of self, which is understood to be intimately related to the individual''s object relations and to play a crucial role in core clinical phenomena. The book outlines a new perspective on identity and affect which sheds light into the heartland of analytic theory, providing fresh insights into narcissism, and narcissistic, borderline, hysteric, and schizoid psychopathologies.