The phenomenology of the self and its objects in waking and dreaming: implications for a model of dreaming

The current psychoanalytic emphasis on self psychology allows attention to be drawn to the nature of the self, internal and external object representations, and possibilities involving the self in relationship to aspects of self and objects in dreams. An emphasis on the self, applied to dreams, appears to fit well with current concepts of REM sleep that involve this sleep stage's importance for the individual in learning, adaptation, and assimilation of emotionally meaningful information. Examples have been provided to indicate possible contributions of self psychological perspectives to an understanding of dreams. A model describing changes in the self and its objects in dream mentation compared to the self and its objects in waking mentation has been described. The model suggests that the self of the dream relates to separated off, changed, or newly cathected attitudes, beliefs, and object representations in a manner that describes the state of the individual and possibilities for change available to the individual. This model, having historical roots in Jungian psychology, adaptive/learning theories of REM sleep, and current Kohutian initiated self-state dream theory, provides an opportunity to review with the dreamer the relationships of self and objects as these representations are concerned with problematic developmental or emotional situations.