Biomedical subjects

P A Bradlow

Publications and source records attributed to P A Bradlow.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1985

The common mirror dream, dreamer, and the dream mirror.

From the widely diverse category of so-called mirror dreams, we have differentiated the most frequent, which we have designated the common mirror dream (CMD). It is one in which the dreamer at some point looks into a mirror and reports seeing himself, a part of himself or a distorted though recognizable version of himself. Mirror dreams, including CMDs, are distinctly uncommon. Every dreamer of CMDs in our series had felt enjoined by the mother (in most cases with the father's collusion) not to see and regard her clearly and not to be an accurately reflecting mirror for her. The intensity with which the maternal injunction against accurate visual perception and evaluation was feared was an important distinguishing feature in our patients with CMDs. The essence of the CMD has been hypothesized to be a reciprocal, reverberating, visual-exhibitionistic dyad representative of the mother-child relationship. The dream mirror may represent the wish that the analyst-mother counter a feared parental injunction against accurate visual perception and evaluation so as to correct the distorted perceptions of self and objects and provide visual affirmation of the value and integrity of the self-representation. For some patients, defense against the dangers of castration and loss of maternal love was accomplished by the mirror mechanisms of magically transforming images in the mirror, the ease of creating illusion in the mirror, and a fetishistic mechanism of visually reintrojecting a phallic symbol from the mirror. Our data failed to confirm many of the hypotheses of previous contributors as to specific symbolic meanings of the dream mirror. More relevant than the symbolism of the dream mirror are the many functions of the dream mirror for the dreamer. These are analyzed and discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Mirror masturbation.

A case is presented of an analytic patient who reported adolescent and adult mirror masturbation in the context of a struggle for psychic differentiation and separation from his mother. A model is elaborated in which magical manipulation and transformation of the self- and object images are facilitated by masturbatory mirror play. The role of impersonation and transformation as another man or woman is explored. Visual hunger, traumatic overstimulation, incestuous games, and fear of actually committing incest with a seductive parent are proposed as genetic contributants . Mirror masturbation is understood as a dramatic play which defends against castration anxiety and attempts to master childhood sexual overstimulation by active repetition and re-creation.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Twin transference as a compromise formation.

This paper explores the meanings and functions of a transference paradigm of a fantasied twin relationship with the analyst. Twin transference in the analysis of nontwins has been reported infrequently in the psychoanalytic literature, except recently by Kohut and his co-workers, who refer to twinship transference as a variant of narcissistic mirror transference. We suggest that such narrow definition tends to reduce the complexity of the wish for a twinlike relationship with the analyst. Analytic data are used to show the advantages of examining twin transference within structural theory, in terms of the multiple functions served by this rather primitive transference paradigm, rather than reducing it only to one variant of the need for certain mirroring functions. We suggest that twin transference, together with all twin fantasies, subserves multiple functions, of which we highlight gratification and defense against the dangers of intense object need. In this formulation, the twinlike representation of the object provides the illusion of influence or control over the object by the pretense of being able to impersonate or transform oneself into the object and the object into the self. Intense object need persists together with a partial narcissistic defense against full acknowledgment of the object by representing the sought-after object as combining aspects of self and other. Further analytic attention needs to be directed to the specific representation of the needed object in certain primitive transference paradigms instead of exclusive emphasis on the functions required of the object. Our analytic data are used to argue that intense early needs of an object are best understood analytically within a conflict model in which they are modified by multiple wishes, drives, fears, dangers, and needs for defense.

Dreams↗

PubMed1975