Wayne A. Myers

Imaginary companions, fantasy twins, mirror dreams and depersonalization

Illustrative case material is presented to demonstrate genetic linkages between the presence of imaginary companions or fantasy twins and extensive mirror play in childhood and early adolescence, and the appearance of mirror dreams and depersonalization in later adolescence and adulthood. The defensive splitting of the self-representations observable in these phenomena is viewed as a means of warding off castration anxiety and anxiety about object loss, anxieties which arise because of conflicts primarily centering on intense aggressive drive derivative wishes. Formulations about depersonalization are discussed.

Clinical consequences of chronic primal scene exposure.

The author presents a phenomenological survey of the symptomatic, characterological, and transference manifestations observed in five male and five female patients who had spent the first three to twelve years of their lives in the parental bedroom. While chronic primal scene exposure is seen in these cases as not having produced any single specific psychopathological sequelae, certain sexual disturbances, split self-representation phenomena, etc., seem to have been primarily (though not solely) determined by these early exposures.

Actions speak louder

Case material is presented from three analyses in which dramatic, unexpected movements by patients on the couch dominated the analytic hours for long periods of time. The psychoanalytic literature pertinent to this area of acting in is reviewed, and some formulations regarding the shift from verbalization to motor behavior are presented. These center on the proposition that the patients had identified with aggressor parents who regarded actions, not words, as the ultimate conveyers of reality. The analysts use of countertransference responses as clues to the understanding of the actions is discussed.

Micropsia and testicular retractions.

Five episodes of micropsia, which were precipitated by oedipal masturbatory fantasies, are described in the analysis of an adult male. Traumatic visual events and testicular retractions during the oedipal and latency years predisposed the ego functions concerned with visual perception to later involvement in conflict. The micropsia itself is seen as defending against castration anxiety by means of a series of unconscious fantasies of denial. These fantasies cause a regression to an earlier mode of visual perception (and to micropsia) characteristic of latency. The defensive modifications of the functions of the ego itself seen in micropsia are closely allied to those seen in the dèjá vu experience and in depersonalization.

A transference dream with superego implications.

A type of transference dream is described in which the male analyst is transformed into a woman. For male patients, this transformation of the threatening father-analyst into the protective maternal figure appears to mitigate the threat of castration for incestuous oedipal wishes. For female patients, the substitution of the maternal figure seems to serve as a wishful undoing of narcissistic mortifications to the young girls emerging sense of femininity and sexuality suffered at the fathers hands during the oedipal years. Maternal and paternal contributions to superego formation are discussed, as is the relative importance of oedipal narcissistic traumata and penis envy.