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The child dream and the child transference
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Dreams featuring children symbolize the developing self, offering insights into patient progress and dependency conflicts during psychoanalysis. Observing child dreams and transference aids in understanding neurotic behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychoanalysis
- Dream Analysis
Background:
- Dreams frequently feature children, symbolizing aspects of the self.
- The concept of transference is central to psychoanalytic theory.
Observation:
- Children in dreams often represent the dependent and developing self.
- Patients may engage in 'child transference,' treating the analyst as a child.
Findings:
- The presence and transformation of child figures in dreams can indicate patient growth during analysis.
- Child dreams and child transference are common, clinically valuable phenomena, particularly for dependency conflicts.
Implications:
- Monitoring child dream content and transference dynamics can illuminate a patient's neurotic behaviors.
- Understanding child transference may be linked to early childhood experiences of playing a parental role.