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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
My dreams are usually very literal or so heavy in symbolism that they require no skill. But this one is weirder.
I'm mowing the next door lot we used to have at my parent's. I'm wearing a long t-shirt over a pair of shorts. Or I'm supposed to be. I look down and realize that I'm not wearing the shorts, or any undies. I forgot to put them on. I was sure I had put them on, but they're not on, so I must have forgotten.
I run indoors to finish dressing, then call my therapist. He must have told me to come over to his house, because next thing I know I'm walking through his house to his bedroom, and sitting on his bed telling him about it. It's no big deal, except that I'm curious about where he lives. No particularly sexual overtones. More like my sitting on my parents bed talking to them.
We walk over to the lawn, but it shows no sign of having been mowed so he tells me that the whole thing must have been a dream because clearly the lawn hasn't been mowed at all.
Posted by littleone on May 12, 2005, at 21:51:06
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
The first thing I think of when you say you aren't wearing your clothes is that maybe you feel exposed about something.
And the part about mowing, well I had an immediate association, but it's probably just my sick mind at work. It would mean something else entirely for you.
Posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:58:48
In reply to Re: Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts? » Dinah, posted by littleone on May 12, 2005, at 21:51:06
Oooh dear. I was afraid of that. :)
I was already going to leave out the part about my therapist's bed if I recounted it to him, but if there's a sexual meaning to the rest that I didn't see, I'd better forget the whole thing.
I once recounted a dream to him about slugs that were chasing me around my parents' house. They would get bigger and bigger and grow a shell, then they would disgorge this quantity of puffy white cotton before becoming small and sluggy again. And I was running around the house trying to get away from them and I was really angry with my mother because she wasn't protecting me.
I presented this dream with all sincerity and innocence. My therapist could barely stifle his snort of laughter before he composed himself and told me about the obvious symbolism that I had somehow missed.
I promised myself never again to bring in a dream I didn't understand. :)
So I thank you for hinting that there is something he might pick up on that I just don't see.
Posted by happyflower on May 12, 2005, at 22:12:05
In reply to Re: Therapist dream. Warning - sexual » littleone, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:58:48
Posted by alexandra_k on May 12, 2005, at 22:34:34
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
> I'm mowing the next door lot we used to have at my parent's. I'm wearing a long t-shirt over a pair of shorts. Or I'm supposed to be. I look down and realize that I'm not wearing the shorts, or any undies. I forgot to put them on. I was sure I had put them on, but they're not on, so I must have forgotten.
How did you feel about then?
Suprised?
Embarrased?
Puzzled?
> I run indoors to finish dressing, then call my therapist.Why?
>He must have told me to come over to his house, because next thing I know I'm walking through his house to his bedroom, and sitting on his bed telling him about it.
>It's no big deal, except that I'm curious about where he lives.
Do you mean in your dream you were curious?
>No particularly sexual overtones. More like my sitting on my parents bed talking to them.
> We walk over to the lawn, but it shows no sign of having been mowed so he tells me that the whole thing must have been a dream because clearly the lawn hasn't been mowed at all.
Posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 22:45:31
In reply to Re: Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts? » Dinah, posted by alexandra_k on May 12, 2005, at 22:34:34
> > I'm mowing the next door lot we used to have at my parent's. I'm wearing a long t-shirt over a pair of shorts. Or I'm supposed to be. I look down and realize that I'm not wearing the shorts, or any undies. I forgot to put them on. I was sure I had put them on, but they're not on, so I must have forgotten.
>
> How did you feel about then?
> Suprised?
> Embarrased?
> Puzzled?All three. I couldn't figure out how I had forgotten to put on anything below the waist. I figured the long shirt had just barely hidden the important parts, at least if I had remained upright. But I was surprised and puzzled and concerned that I could have done such a thing.
>
> > I run indoors to finish dressing, then call my therapist.
>
> Why?Because of the concern I guess. It truly seemed alarming to me that I could have forgotten to dress, not to mention making it outside and mowing half the lawn before noticing. It didn't seem like a thing a normal person would do. Hmmm... My aunt was recently hospitalized after being found running naked down the street. But I doubt that's enough in my consciousness to be dreaming about it.
>
> >He must have told me to come over to his house, because next thing I know I'm walking through his house to his bedroom, and sitting on his bed telling him about it.
>
> >It's no big deal, except that I'm curious about where he lives.
>
> Do you mean in your dream you were curious?
>
Absolutely. Who wouldn't be? I was somewhat surprised (in the dream) that his family didn't mind a patient coming over, but actually they were quite cordial and not at all surprised. They seemed quite nice. And I was also surprised (in the dream) that his bed was unmade. Because he seems the sort to make his bed.> >No particularly sexual overtones. More like my sitting on my parents bed talking to them.
>
> > We walk over to the lawn, but it shows no sign of having been mowed so he tells me that the whole thing must have been a dream because clearly the lawn hasn't been mowed at all.
>
>
I suspect the fact that the lawn really hasn't been mowed and the whole thing must have been a dream or my imagination means something. But I'm not sure what.
Posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 22:50:39
In reply to lol at the slug dream! (nm), posted by happyflower on May 12, 2005, at 22:12:05
Posted by daisym on May 12, 2005, at 22:58:17
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
Dinah,
I assume you've connected this dream to all of the work on sexual issues you've been doing in therapy, right?
Universally -- a lawn, mowed or not, would be your vagina. So, "it" was exposed -- you were mowing, you told your therapist about it, in his bedroom, he said it didn't happen, you dreamed it.
Hmmm...latent, denied feelings towards your therapist in this area? (Never happened)
Or, more likely, you did lots of work (mowing) on these issues and now, due to a reduction in time, it might feel like it things dissipated and the work you did isn't apparent to your therapist.
Just a few thoughts.
Posted by JenStar on May 12, 2005, at 23:38:30
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
Very interesting! (Said while stroking chin, with German accent.) I've had dreams where I'm lacking underwear or going to the bathroom in public, and I think these dreams usually mean a fear of facing a difficult situation and being afraid you won't be prepared appropriately for it. And there are potential repercussions, such as embarrassment or social humiliation if you don't succeed at this project or thing you want to underatake.
Is there something either at work or in your personal work with with the T that is difficult, a work goal perhaps, that is worrying you? Something you need to do, but that is difficult or challenging? Maybe it's a dream about your fears of taking the next step at something.
Anyway, that my amateur 2 cents.
thanks for sharing your dream!
JenStar
Posted by Tamar on May 13, 2005, at 5:21:53
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
My two cents:
I think the nudity might be more about honesty than sexuality. I think there's a theme of sexuality in the dream too, but I would interpret it as revealing something honestly about your sexuality.
The unmade bed is also about honesty and about an authentic relationship with your T. Neither of you needs to hide from the other. His unmade bed (or his sexuality) is not a threat to you. His sexuality is somehow 'normal' (marital bed), not overt (it's just a bed, not a slug), but manifestly present (you're sitting on his bed and it's unmade).
When you mow the lawn you reveal something about your body, but you want to take it back again because later, when you show your T, it hasn't been mown. You insist you've done it, because you remember doing it, but somehow he hasn't seen it. You need to reveal yourself again.
In your dream he tells you that you've been dreaming: now that's the bit I find most fascinating. He disputes the reality of your revelation. But you know he's not right.
Taking it all together I wonder if you feel his sexuality is coming between you and preventing you from revealing yourself completely, so that he is unable to understand fully what you're trying to tell him.
But maybe I'm overinterpreting...
Tamar
Posted by alexandra_k on May 13, 2005, at 5:22:27
In reply to Re: Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 22:45:31
>I was surprised and puzzled and concerned that I could have done such a thing.
>It truly seemed alarming to me that I could have forgotten to dress, not to mention making it outside and mowing half the lawn before noticing.Ok. So what would it mean to you if you had managed to do all that without noticing?
That you had really lost it?
Like your Aunt?
Just wondering whether that may be the connection there.>I was somewhat surprised (in the dream) that his family didn't mind a patient coming over, but actually they were quite cordial and not at all surprised. They seemed quite nice.
> I'm walking through his house to his bedroom, and sitting on his bed telling him about it.
> And I was also surprised (in the dream) that his bed was unmade. Because he seems the sort to make his bed.
>No particularly sexual overtones. More like my sitting on my parents bed talking to them.Maybe that stuff is about him being open and honest and trustworthy?
Because his family is there and they don't see anything strange with it.
Because the bed is unmade so he is 'being himself'
You are getting his honest response.> We walk over to the lawn,
Is that because he finds it hard to believe that you could have done such a thing?
>but it shows no sign of having been mowed so he tells me that the whole thing must have been a dream because clearly the lawn hasn't been mowed at all.
Hmm.> I suspect the fact that the lawn really hasn't been mowed and the whole thing must have been a dream or my imagination means something. But I'm not sure what.
How did you feel when he told you you must have dreamed it?
Relieved?
Sceptical?
Confused?Did you believe him or not?
If mowing the lawn without pants was a dream within a dream...
Then at what point (in the dream) did you wake up from the dream about mowing the lawn????
I think that might be important...
Posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 12:01:00
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
I brought the dream and a sheaf of your interpretations with me to therapy, and we mined a good half hour out of it. Reassured by the interpretations about his bed, I even brought that up. (Tamar, he seemed to think your bed explanation was brilliant.) We tied it in very closely with the things we've been talking about, and my fear that he will use reality testing to challenge my perceptions.
He's one of those Jungian dream interpreters who believe everyone in the dream represents the dreamer, so he insists that it is myself testing reality against my perceptions, not him.
The lawn mowing metaphor is unbelievably apropos given the subject matter.
By the way, he admits that he makes the bed about 90% of the time. So I might be lousy at dream interpretation, but I'm good at reading people. :)
Posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 12:04:47
In reply to You guys are great, posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 12:01:00
He had forgotten. Well, it was probably over nine years ago.
He gave me an imitation of what he had probably said, and I let him know he wasn't stifling enough laughter.
And we both agreed that today, he'd just laugh and not try to stifle it. Ah, how relationships change.
Posted by Shortelise on May 13, 2005, at 12:29:24
In reply to He also got a good laugh at the slug dream., posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 12:04:47
Dinah, I love your T.
ShortE
Posted by pinkeye on May 13, 2005, at 14:05:08
In reply to Therapist dream. Any amateur analysts?, posted by Dinah on May 12, 2005, at 21:03:20
Posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 17:59:49
In reply to Re: He also got a good laugh at the slug dream. » Dinah, posted by Shortelise on May 13, 2005, at 12:29:24
Posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 18:01:37
In reply to Don't have a clue. :-). I only have nightmares :-) (nm) » Dinah, posted by pinkeye on May 13, 2005, at 14:05:08
Ugh. I'm lucky in that I rarely dream and when I do most of them are so mundane. Like I get up and brush my teeth and get ready for work. Then I wake up.
Booorrrring.
But I deserve it, since I'm so bad at interpreting them myself. :)
And better than nightmares.
Posted by pinkeye on May 15, 2005, at 13:53:09
In reply to Re: Don't have a clue. :-). I only have nightmares :-) » pinkeye, posted by Dinah on May 13, 2005, at 18:01:37
I think you mistook what I said.. I said I have been having nightmares about my exT. Not about everything. I have very interesting dreams, and I remember them almost always. But I don't do so much of dream analysis.
This is the end of the thread.
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