Mother, melancholia, and dreams in Erik H. Erikson's Insight and Responsibility

In an earlier article (Capps, 2007a) on Erik H. Erikson's earliest writings (1930-1931) I focused on the relationship between the child's melancholia and conflict with maternal authority, and drew attention to the restorative role of humor. In a subsequent article (Capps, 2007b) on Erikson's Childhood and Society (1950) I explored the same theme of the relationship of melancholia and the mother, but focused on the restorative role of play. In this article drawing from his Insight and Responsibility (1964) I continue this exploration of the relationship of melancholia and the mother, but focus on the restorative role of dreams. In support of this understanding of dreams, I focus on Erikson's interpretation of one of Sigmund Freud's dreams in light of the first two stages of the life cycle, and his view that the dream itself is inherently maternal.