The flux and flow of free-play and paradox.

This paper addresses the centrality of play and paradox for the emergence of symbol formation in the liminal space "between" the opposites that offer constraint on the analytic dyad. Complex Adaptive Systems theory is interwoven with Jungian ideas to consider the importance and, sadly, the diminishment of 'free play' globally. The possible relationship between the state of mind needed for 'free play' as similar to the state while in REM dream sleep is described. A clinical sandtray case provides grounding for the way that the implicit, procedural domain is relevant for shaping the interactions and patterns that emerge in the present moment that reflect both the past and the unfolding future. Amplification related to the patient's cultural background opened an understanding of imaginative engagement with family and friends in her history that revealed attachment alternatives. Further, Greek Hermes as a symbol of connection and paradox is offered along with Egyptian Nut and Seb who represent the need for space and the necessary differentiation that opens room for the flux and flow of creative energy within a system.