On the Royal Road Together: The Analytic Function of Dreams in Activating Dissociative Unconscious Communication

Abstract

I propose a new analytic function of dreams: the use of dreams to activate powerful forms of unconscious affective communication between patient and analyst, which crucially facilitate the transformation of dissociative mental structure. Moments of what I call dissociative unconscious communication serve to “seek-and-find” the unconscious mind of the analyst and open up channels of unconscious empathy. Such analytic dream communications are particularly likely to occur when certain overwhelming experiences are dominating the treatment: (a) the accessing of dissociated early trauma, and (b) the loosening or crumbling of dissociative structure as the patient begins to come alive.