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The Dream Unbound1

Valerie Tate Angel, New York, USA

Angel VT. The Dream Unbound. Int Forum Psychoanal 1999;8:41–48. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–706X.

Since the publication of Freud’sInterpretation of Dreams, the psychoanalyst has been concernedwith how to bring the unconscious mind closer to consciousness. This paper reflects the shift inunderstanding the use of dreams for the psychoanalytic exploration of the vicissitudes of the selfand a shift away from the notion of wish fulfillment as a core motivational force in wishproduction. Another important change in psychoanalytic theory is the relevance of the analyst’ssubjective experience of the patient, which enhances the understanding of the therapeuticprocess. From the acknowledgment of the importance of a countertransference dream, theanalyst has greater access to thoughts, feelings, and images which enable the analyst to workthrough the resistances to change, which occur in the consulting room. Two clinical vignettesdepict the use of self-state dreams which reveal the patient’s self-experience and a counter-transference dream which gives greater access to the analyst’s inner world and thus wards off apotential dismantling of the psychotherapeutic relationship.

Valerie Tate Angel, M.S.W., 115 East 61st Street, New York, N.Y. 10021, USA

Three major areas that reflect changes in the waya psychoanalyst works with dreams are thecurrent use of the manifest content as significantin its own right, the recognition of counter-transference dreams as capturing a specific aspectof intrapsychic life, and the usefulness of theself-state dream in deepening and understandingthe vicissitudes of the self. The development inthese three areas is parallel to current changes inpsychoanalytic theory and technique. There is anincreasing interest and acknowledgment in ex-ploring countertransference phenomena. Trans-ference and countertransference have become formany equally important aspects of the therapeuticprocess. As Wolf states, the analyst is encour-aged to look at his/her participation in theanalytic encounter without implying pathology(1).

Classical and Self-Psychological DreamTheoryThe classical formulation for analyzing dreamsuncovers from less repressed material to more

repressed, attends to the patient’s defenses andresistances, and ultimately traces conflicts togenetic material (2). A psychoanalyst understandsthe meaning of the dream through the dreamwork, the process that changes latent thought intomanifest content and uses the principles ofcondensation, displacement, symbolism, and re-versal into the opposite (3). These are the basicmechanisms that enable the analyst to understandhow the dream gets disguised and the importanceof comprehending the meaning of those distor-tions. Freud (4) in his paper on choices intechnical procedures with dreams, reiterated fourpoints which are critical for further expansion ofdream theory. First, Freud stressed that one canproceed chronologically with associations toelements. Second, one can work with oneelement that is taken from the middle of thedream. Third, one can forget the manifest contentand ask about associations to events of theprevious day and fourth, if the patient is familiarwith dream interpretation, the analyst can let thepatient begin without guidance (4:106). As theuse of dreams in the psychoanalytic process wasfurther explored, particularly in other theoreticalperspectives, there was a shift to give moresignificance to the manifest content.

Analysts organize the interpretation of thedream according to their theoretical perspective

1This is a revised version of a paper presented at the IXForum, of the IFPS in Florence, Italy, May 1994. I want toacknowledge Margaret Black and Harriet Pappenheim fortheir thoughtful comments and Jan Stensson for his insightfulsuggestions.

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and give greater emphasisto either the latentthought or manifest content dependingon theirframework. On my careful re-readingof Freud’s,The Interpretation of Dreams (5) I found apassagethat I believebridges someof the currentconflict on the manifest versus latent thoughts.Freud wrote “… what we dream is eithermanifestly recognizable as psychically signifi-cant, or it is distortedand cannotbe judged tillthe dreamhasbeeninterpreted,after which it willoncemore be found to be significant” (5:182).

A major advancement in understandingdreamshas beenthe introduction of the term “self-statedreams” which are thought to capture in theirimagery one’s self-experience. The term self-state dream as originally defined by Kohut (6).“portray the dreamer’s dread vis a vis someuncontrollable tension-increaseor his dread ofthe dissolution of the self.” Gabel’s workdemonstrates that the definition of self-statedream goes beyond Kohut’s term in that thedream revealsa “monitoring and descriptionofthe self” (7). The conceptualization of self-statedreamshasbeenfurther expandedby Greenbergwho stressesthat the dreamcan reveal fragmen-tation of the self as well as integration of newstructures(8). The shift away from the notion ofwish fulfillment as a core motivational force hasalso contributed to the understandingof dreamsin the context of the exploration of the self.Fosshage (9) emphasizes the self regulatoryfunction of dreams in psychic life. Stolorow(10) emphasizesthe structure of the subjectiveexperience and states, “the vivid perceptualimages of dreams serve directly to restore orsustainthe structuralintegrating andstability of asubjectiveworld menacedwith disintegration.”Aself psychological framework in understandingadreamfocuseson the vicissitudesof the self andnot on the exploration of the interaction of thetripartite structural system.Tolpin usesthe termself-psychological dream and definesthe dreamasa function of the self in a given time (11). Theuse of the term self-state dream sensitizestheanalystto an awarenessof a different theoreticalorientation when analyzing a dream. In a self-psychological frameworka prime sourceof innerconflict in the self is “unintegratedaffect states”(12) not drive derivatives. The “dynamic uncon-scious” as defined by Stolorow “does not consistof repressedendogenouslyarising drive deriva-

tives, but affect statesthat havebeenevokedandfaultily responded to … and then defensivelysequesteredin an attempt to protect againstretraumatization” (12:20).

In current sleep and dream research there isrecognitionfor the application of a self psycho-logical framework for understanding the under-pinningsof a dream.There is a physiologicalandpsychological determinant that needs to berecognizedwhen one uncoversthe meaning ofdreams.Fiss (13) in his researchdemonstratesthree functions of dreams, which include themaintenance of self-cohesiveness, the restorationof a fragmenting self and the developmentofnew psychic structures. All dreams are notstructural conflict dreamswith interpretationofdrive and defense. There are also self-statedreams that are adaptive attempts to masteranxiety that is generatedby disturbing changesin the stateof the self (14).

In this paperI presenttwo areas from my workwith dreams that reflect a basic change inunderstandingmy work with interaction andinterpretation: the use of a self-psychologicalframework in working with dreamsand the useof the counter-transference dream.When I heara dreamin a sessionI wonderabout the role ofthat dream in regardto the phaseof the analysisand the themesof the past sessions.I wonderwhat provokes a dream at this moment in thetherapeutic processand I note the associativesequencein which the dream is reported (15).Often I find a bridging of ideasbetweena sessionand the content of the dream.Loewald refers tothe commonfunction of dreaminterpretationandinterpretationof the transferencewhen he statesthat “both attempt to re-establish the lostconnection, the buried interplay between theunconscious and the preconscious”(16).Thus itis important to notice the comments before andafter the reportingof a dreamandhow the dreamand the sessionare related.Most important arethe patient’s associations.

The following vignette describes my workwith two consecutive dreams that reflect a self-psychological approach to understanding themeaning of the dream. In addition to theassociations to the elementsof the dream, theanalystlistensto how the patient feels about thedream as a whole. The dream is heard as arepresentationof the patient’s self-experience.

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Analytic Work with Dreams in a Self-PsychologicalFrameWB is a 48 year old woman who enteredtreatmentfour years ago becauseof depressionand low self-esteem.At the time of referral shehad been unemployed for over three years,supporting herself with occasional freelanceprojectsin her profession.Shewasnot optimisticabout employment and felt that she was “introuble” and depleted of resources.Within twomonthsof beginningtreatmentshewasemployedfull time andwe beganmore intensivework. Shehad beenmarried twice for brief periods of timein her early andlate twenties, andhassincebeensingle for twenty years.Her father died from adebilitating degenerative diseasewhen she was32. She felt that she has never completelymournedthe lossof her father.Her mother relieson her for financial aswell asemotional support.Her mother was not as supportive of heraccomplishmentsas was her father.When herfather died she becamedepressedbut did notseekhelp. With her secondhusbandshe brieflywent to therapyfor sexualcounseling. Ten yearsago, through the use of behavior modificationtechniques,she was treated for a phobia thatdeveloped after she was stuck in a subway.Throughour work with her dreams I discoveredthat shefeelssexualonly in herdreams.This wasrevealedtwo yearsago and since then we havebeenworking on understandingthe derailment ofher affect statesin regardto her sexualfeelings.

Recently WB was asked to exhibit her artwork in an international show. She chose tosubmit a collection of nude female photographsusing herself as the model. The sessionbeforethe dreamshewasexcitedaboutgettingher workframed.Sheis very private abouther talent.Thethemesof the last severalmonths focuseduponher feeling exposedand unprotected.In the pastseveral sessions WB connects to what sheexperiencesin the moment and in her sessions.The walling off of her affective experienceoriginated in the self-selfobject failure in earlychildhood as WB’s affective experiences wererespondedto inadequately.

P (WB) Yesterdaythis woman I am doing freelancework with, she knows me for 13 years, told me Ilooked beautiful.A: What was your experience?

P: I went homeand looked at myself in the mirror. Ihad no internal feeling. I had a weird dream, achasingdreamlast night: In a taxi cab.Me, I wasin ataxi cab and anothercab – trying to get someplace–the cab was chasingthe cab.This dream is about getting someplace,careerwise,financially. I am readinga book, In A Different Voice,by Carol Gilligan. How women’svoicesare physicaland comefrom a different part of the throat.Womenare taught to concealand reveal.A: Tell me more aboutconcealingand revealing.P: I was taughtnot to talk loud, afraid I wouldn’t beliked for what I thought.

There was a long pauseand shecontinued

that big old checkercab, it was all me in the dream.Part of me chasingme away. In my bedroomthereisa pile of books, I take this sexual book from thebottom of the pile and put it on the top, I read it, Ithink about it but I don’t do it. That makes menervous.I can’t meet my needsemotionally, physi-cally.A: Maybeyou aretelling me that you revealedpart ofyourself, felt vulnerablerevealingyour needsandhadto concealit to chaseit away.P: Will I hear my voice, my voice telling me it’sokay.

In my experience, in working with a dreamthathas a chase sequence,usually the dreamerdoesnot get caught.In this dreamWB wasawarethatshe was still not sureif shecould get wheresheis going. I heard her words and wonderedwil lshe have to be chasteand chaseaway what shewants to get for herself?

At the session the next day, WB reportsanotherdream.Shebeginsthe sessionby tellingme that she remembers her mother sitting alonein the basementwhen she was about five yearsold. Her mother had a postpartum depressionwhen her brotherwas born. This was a very sadtime for WB and she remembers missing hermother. This mother of childhood as Kohutstates,failed to respond with mirroring pride orwith appropriate reaction to help the childmaintain her self-esteemand self-cohesion. Asthe child moved away from mother towardsfather the mother felt it was a threat to herown self-cohesion and could not respond(17).

WB tells me that she has warnedher motherthat sheis about to begindatinga painterandshebegins to protect herself from the flawed re-sponsesfrom her mother.Thereis alsoa message

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to me to stayattuned to her andremainavailableto her affective experience. Recognizing thepsychotherapeutic relationship as an interactionof interactingsubjective worlds is most valuablefor understandingthe restorationof WB’s self-esteem.

P: I imagine going to the painter’s studio and if heshowsme his studio that is a gift. That’s a direct lineto his soul. That is almostmore intimate than havingsex! It’s so amazingthat we talked last sessionaboutmy experienceand how I needto be presentin eachminute of time. I would have been outside myself.When I spoketo him everythingwas going throughmy mind – talking to someonewho is my equal,intellectually, emotionally,maybephysically, I heardhis voice. I could listen. This is a big thing, the righttime in my development.Readyto hear it.A: Tell me about the “it”.P: It’s connection, it is desire, It’s finding meattractiveand interesting.All theseconnections.A:Perhapsyou don’t haveto be asanxiousandrefuseyour desire.P: I hadthis dreamabouta Frenchphotographer… Inthe dream,in a very public place… he had his handbetweenmy legs and I was embracinghim. It was avery public place.I woke up. I felt aroused,whenI awoke,not orgastic,gentle, not too intense. Something is there. Thephotographerwith his handbetweenmy legs. I reallyknewthis manandhe wasgentleandlong agoI hadabrief relationshipwith him.(Then she was quiet). Oh my god, it’s me, I’m thephotographer,what could be more public than allnude photographs,of me, rendered by me. It isperfect.It’s in a different city, completelyanonymous,but I feel very courageous.A: Tell me moreaboutfeeling courageousin a publicplace.P: It wasa big openspacewith threeelevators.I sawthis guy’s face,he wasn’t smartbut warm and lovingand I didn’t pushhis handaway,or I didn’t pushthatfeeling away. This makesmy kneeswobble. It’s sucha long time since I connectedto anybody.A: I understandthat you can feel your kneeswobbleand still feel connected.P: In the dreamI didn’t flee. I stayed.

It is apparentfrom this dream that WB feelsmore integrated,is able to stay with her anxietyand her excitement and is not dissociatedfromher affectiveexperience.Freudindicatedthat in aseriesof dreams,or in two consecutive dreams,one dream representssomething that is in the

peripheryof the other (5). WB’s two consecutivedreamsreflect two sidesof the samecoin. Onefleeingfrom feelings,the otherbeingable to staywith the sexualanxiety and not flee. To flee ornot to flee, that is the question!Is sheconnectedor disconnected,cohesive or fragmented?Shefeels much lessdepleted,more self-cohesive andher affect has becomestrong. Part of me alsounderstoodthe classicalformulation in thesetwodreamsin which WB unified her ego and id andwas able to overthrowher superego.But, that isnot how sheunderstood her self-experience. Herlanguagein regardto her associations about herdreams reveals her perception that she hasbecomelessfragmented.Shefeels that she staysconnectedto her experienceanddoesnot havetodisconnect from her emotions. She no longerignoresthe experience of her feelingsand sheisable to be responsive.This responsivenessalsorelatesto her feeling that “something is there”,rather than her usual feeling that “something ismissing”. She is working throughher anxiety of“being without” and perhaps the “missing”reflects her lack of early bonding with Motherratherthana dynamicfrom a later developmentalphase.As WB beginsto feel that “something isthere” she also begins to like herself. A personneedsa senseof one’s self-experienceto becomeinvolved with another person. In a dream apersoncan be more aggressivewith wishesanddesires.This dream sequence reflects an effortregardingself restorationto strengthenher self-system. There is also a greater consistencybetween her feelings in the dream and herwakingstateanda fluidity regardingheraffectiveexperience.

A CountertransferenceDreamThe other relevant advancementin our use ofdreamsconcernsthe countertransference dreamin which the psychoanalysthas an undisguiseddream about a patient in the manifest content.There is more written in the literature regardingpatientsdreams’of the analyst.When the patienthas an undisguised transference dream possiblythere is someindication of warding off feelingsregardingthe deepeningtransference (18).

In reviewing the literature on countertransfer-ence dreamsthere were only eighty-four refer-

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encesin Psychological AbstractsDatabaseof theAmericanPsychological Association (I967–1997)andten of thesereferenceswerefrom the 1980’s.Loewald (19) notes that the psychoanalyticconcernwith direct recognition of countertrans-ferenceis still at an early stage.He statesthat itwas Freud’s “lack of personal experience ofbeing analyzed by someoneelse that kept himremoved from the mutual relationship” in thepsychoanalyticprocess. Loewald’s observationsshouldencouragemore inquiry into the analyst’spsychic activities. The analyst’sself observationand self reflection are strengthenedthrough therecognition of countertransferencedreams andenable the analyst to be more available tounderstandthe mutual interactionbetween patientand analyst. Loewald also recognizesthat trans-ference and countertransference cannot be re-gardedas separateissuesas he states“they aretwo facesof the samedynamic” (19:276).

According to Zwiebel (20) the countertrans-ference dream reflects a potential threat to theanalyst’scompetence and perhapsthe analyst isunableto adhereto andendurethe tensionthat isimportant in managing the ambivalence of therelationship.Zwiebel’s studydescribesthe dreamas a reflection of the analytic situation whichcauses the analyst to analyze himself moreintensely.Zweibel statesthat the dreamconveysreactionsto certainbehaviorand the understand-ing of the dream can lead to a resolution of aconflict situation.

In articleson the countertransference evolutionthere is a recognition that countertransferencereactions enhancesour psychoanalyticexplora-tions of the interaction between patient andanalyst. Terms such as healthy countertransfer-ence (Sharpe),appropriate and useful counter-transference(Sanders),shadowy or backgroundcountertransference (Reich) all are part of theevolution to havemore comfort in the disclosureof these reactions (21). Freud’s self revealingIrma dream,also known as the specimendream,was later identified as a countertransferencedream.Since Freud’s writing few analystshavedivulged their countertransference dreams.Per-haps there is a greater interest recently in thisareaas there is recognitionof the importanceofthe intersubjective experience and the under-standing of the analyst’s subjective experienceof the analytic process.

Countertransference Dream

I’m sitting on the floor, across from T, and he isbuilding with blocks. I hand him the blocks whichhaveABC printed on them.He puts one block on topof the other.

I usuallydo not recall a dreamin which a patientappears. Of course, I am surethat every psycho-analyst reading this dream has his/her associa-tions to both the content and the meaning ofdreaming about one’s patient. The abovedreamis certainly a countertransferencedreamin whichmy patient appearsin the manifest content. Iwant to sharethe insights resulting from analyz-ing this dream that warded off a potentialimpasse in the transference-countertransferencereaction between the patient and myself. Themanifest content of the dream alerted me toimportant reactions and my own self-analysisenabled me to deepenmy understandingof mywork.

When I dreamt this dream, I wonderedif Tcould endure the intimacy of the sessionsandfound him to be very competitive, at timesmanipulative, and angry. His behavior reflecteda needto get control of the ungiving part of themother. He beganhis analysiswhen he was 39years old becausehe had feelings toward twowomen and had just ended a relationship withone of them. When T was three years old, hisfather returnedfrom World War II and for thefirst time lived with him. Shortly after hisfather’s return,his parentsseparated.His motherdied when he was in his late teens. T was veryflirtatious and he recognized that his flirtatiousbehavior was a relief from his own uncertaintyandloneliness.He wanted to get his way anddidnot like to be ignored.Themesthat emergedwerehis need for approval and his fear of beinghumiliated.

The night I had the dream, the followingoccurrencetook placebefore the sessionwith T.I left my office to attenda meetingand I lockedthe front door to my office which wasan unusualoccurrence, becauseI usually keep my officeopen. I thought I’d return from the meetingapproximately fifteen minutesbefore T’s session.WhenI arrivedat my office I found T in the halloutside my office sleeping on a bench. Iimmediately had a reaction becausehe usuallyarrived a few minutes early for his sessions.I

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didn’t expecthim this early or I might have leftmy outside office door open, as I usually do,since patientsusually wait in the waiting room.My office suite is located in a securebuildingand thus my office to the waiting areais open.Iwas facedwith a dilemmaof waking him or notand I choseto wake him to let him know theoffice wasopen.I went inside the office and intomy consultingroom and at the time of the startof the sessionI went to my waiting room. Hewasreading,no longer lying-sleepingon a benchin the outside hallway. During this session Iaskedhim if he had any reactionsto the officenot being opened.He told me that he was onehour early because his previous appointmenthadendedearly andso he decided to arrive early forhis session.He didn’t expressany concernthatthe door was locked or that I was not there. Iwonderedif he invited that responsefrom methat potentially he would be locked out of theoffice by arriving one hour early for his session.“Oh dear,he said,did I invite that?Did I setyouup.” He proceededto tell me that no one elseever has talked to him the way I do. He didn’trememberhow old he wasbut he remembersthathis grandmotherwasdying andhis motherhadtogo to see her and she didn’t tell him that shewent or the reason she was going. I said,“Perhapshe wonderedif anythinghad happenedto me as it was an unusualoccurrencethat theoffice was locked.” At the end of the sessionthenotebook in which I write notes dropped frommy lap. T said, “Is that how you treat myinsides?”He often commenteddirectly aboutthesoft tone of my voice or when he heardmy legsmove he experienceda partial sexual feeling. Ifelt that his communication was about contactwith and longing for sensualcontact with thepre-oedipalMother which becamemore evidentfrom his lying-sleeping-nonverbal communica-tion outside the office. I hadbegunto understandhis remarksas his longings for closenessbut hismannerwas certainly very challenging.I foundmyself usingthe framework that at timeshe mustneed to experience an adversarial selfobject inthe transferencea term that denotesa patient’sneed for a “benevolent antagonist” (1) and beableto asserthimself. I hadexpressedto him thatthis was a safe environment. I explored themeaning of his need for this interaction thatrevealedhis ability to experience himself stron-

ger andmore intact (22). Therewasa fluctuationin the different meaningof the transferenceas attimes I felt there was a mirroring transferencewith his need to be confirmed while at othertimes there was this adversarial selfobject ex-periencewhich reflected his ability to strengthenhimself.

My countertransference dream surprised mealthoughI was awarethat the door to my officebeing locked had somesignificance to T. Sincemy dreamfollowed this event,I realizedthat thedream had relevance to some aspect of theanalytic process.In the dream I associatedtothe building of an upright structure as thepatient’s delight in his phallic strivings and mypleasurein watching or enabling him to build.Yet on further analysisof the dreamI understoodthat I was not available to T becauseI hadlocked him out and thus in the dream I amrebuilding the structurethat I felt waspotentiallybeing disruptedand challenged. In the emergingtransference reaction,T was uncomfortable withhis dependentposition in relation to the maternalauthority figure (23).

I realized at the time of this dream myyoungestdaughterdelighted in her upright tod-dling position.In my family of origin I knew thatI walked early and I waspossibly more sensitiveto this developmental milestone. I analyzed thegenetic roots of my dream in relation to whatwas triggeredoff in me aboutmy own anxietiesas a mother of a toddler. While the imagery inthe dream could be seen as struggling withexplicit phallic issues, these issues could beaddressedwith T when the meaning of thebehavior would be more fully understood. Atthe moment,the organizing principle was that Tdid not feel noticed enoughand attendedto bythe pre-oedipal Mother. The block building ispossiblythe reparationof his self-esteemasbothhis mother and father were not fully availableintheseearly yearsand I understoodthe intensityof his demandsfor my attention was to enablehim to mend his self-cohesionthrough the self-selfobjectexperience.

I must add that whenI walkedoff the elevatorto my office and saw T sleeping,I thought oftossingmy hat onto him andstopped myself as Ifelt that was too playful and I didn’t want toalarm him. There was definitely a challengingand competitivenature to our interactionswhich

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I slowly began to feel comfortable with as Iunderstoodhis needs,his longingsand his fears.Briefly, at the next session two days later, Iinquired if T hadany reactionsto the incident ofthe last session.He remarkedthat he was awareof some anger but he becameaware of howdependenthe was on me. He commented that itwasa liberationratherthana threatto understandthis. He proceededto tell me that to sit and letsomeonein wasunfamiliar to him ashe couldn’tremembergetting that from his motheror fatherand his experiencewith me is learningto love. Icommentedthat he wasable to expresshis angerwith me or his dependentfeelings and not feelthat I would withdraw. He experienced me asdependableand available to listen to him. Ibelieve that my countertransference dream en-abled me to understandmy reaction to T. Hisbehaviorthat had seductiveovertoneswas reallyin the service of trying to gain control of theungiving mother. The potential disrupture waswarded off becauseof my self-inquiry into thedream. I was locking out the intensity of hisexperienceand how it impinged on my avail-ability to his experience. PerhapsI locked thedoor becauseI realized that T wanted to becloser to me than I wantedhim to be and in mydreamI was playful with him to give a greateracceptanceto my own playfulnessand not blockout his interactionwith me. The dreamwas myworking through of the enactment of a transfer-encetest in which T wantedto seeif I was likehis mother or not. The position of being on thefloor with him in the dreamalertedme to how Ihad beenstruggling to work throughthe inducedprojection of T trying to unbalancethe psy-chotherapeuticrelationship. The value of thedream was how I was able to understandthemeaning of the transference-countertransferenceenactment.

Concluding RemarksThe exploration of a countertransference dreamopensthe psychoanalyticprocessto the union ofthe meaningof all the passionsthat areunearthedin the analytic relationship.Our ability to presentand to discusscountertransference dreamsis assymbolic as Prometheusstealing the fire andincurring the wrath of Jupiter and Hercules

unchaining him. The understandingof counter-transference dreams unbinds the analyst frompast dogmas that have been encrustedon theanalytic processandenables the analystto attendto the interaction that is explicit in all transfer-encereactionsand interpretations.The acknowl-edgmentand disclosure amongstour colleaguesof countertransferencedreams, though perhapsinfrequent, fostersthe recognitionof the value inunderstanding our subjective experience in ourclinical work. The analytic process is furtheradvanced whenthe analystconsidersthe counter-transference dream and the self-psychologicalapproach to dreamsfor understanding the psy-choanalytic exploration of the adaptive andmaladaptiveself.

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Paperson psychoanalysis.New Haven:Yale University Press,1980

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Summariesin German and SpanishAngel VT. NeuereAspektedesTraumes

Seit FreudsVeroffentlichung der Traumdeutungbescha¨fti-gen die Psychoanalytikersich damit, UnbewusstesundBewussteszu einerAnnaherungzu bringen.Traumespielendabeieine wichtige Rolle. In dieserArbeit wird eine dabeierkennbareEntwicklung dargestellt: der Ubergang vomVerstandnis des Traums als Wunscherfu¨llung zu dem alsDarstellung eines Selbst-Zustandes.Damit verbunden isteine andere wichtige Veranderung in der psychoanaly-tischen Theorie: die Bedeutungder subjektivenErfahrungim Umgang mit dem Patienten, die den analytischenProzesserhellenkann.Gegenu¨bertragungstra¨ume helfen dem Analytiker, seineGedanken,Gefuhle und Phantasienbesser zu verstehenund helfen ihm, Widerstande durchzuarbeitenund aufzulo-sen, die in der Behandlungssituationentstehen.AnhandeinesSelbst-Traumesund einesGegenu¨bertragungstraumeswerdendieseUberlegungenverdeutlicht.

Angel VT. El sueno desentran˜ado

Desdela publicacion de la “Interpretacı´on de los suenos” deFreud, los psicoanalistashan estadointeresadosen comoaproximar el mundo inconscientea la conciencia. Estetrabajoreflejael cambioen la comprensio´n de la utilizacionde los suenos para la exploracion psicoanalıtica de lasvicisitudesdel selfy tambienun alejamientode la nocionde satisfaccio´n de deseocomo fuerza motivacionalcentralparala produccion de deseo.Otro importantecambioen lateorıa psicoanalıtica es la experienciasubjetivadel analistapara una mayor profundizacion en la comprensio´n delprocesoterapeu´tico. Desdeel conocimientodel la impor-tanciade un sueno (contratransferencia)el analistatiene unmayor accesoa los pensamientos,sentimientose imageneslo cual permitetrabajarlas resistenciasparaun cambioqueocurreen la consulta.Dos vinetasclınicasrepresentanla utilizacion de suenos delestado del self, reveladores de como la paciente seexperimentaa sı mismay un sueno contratransferencialque permite mayor accesoal mundo interno del analistayde estaforma alejar una potencial ruptura de una relacionterapeutı´ca.

48 Valerie TateAngel Int Forum Psychoanal 8, 1999

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