Transitional Phenomena in a Dream

Transitional phenomena in the dream space have received little discussion in the literature since Winnicott (1971a) initially defined the transitional process in terms of creative playing and dreaming. A few investigators, however, have taken up these issues and dealt with such processes as the dream space itself as transitional space rather than as a thing in itself or the manifest dream content as being indicative of transitional phenomena in the patient. However, it is far from certain exactly what transitional phenomena manifesting in a dream or as a dream are all about. The implications for dynamic conceptualization and most importantly for therapeutic technique are far from clear. The purpose here will be to take up these questions by studying the dream space and noting the transitional phenomena presented in the manifest content and associations to a particular dream presented in therapy. This material will then be employed to attempt to more fully understand what is happening in the therapeutic process.

Winnicott (1951, 1952) first discussed the illusional area of experience between the internal and external world. He stressed that most importantly it represents the paradox between the subjective and objective and the internal and the external. Winnicott defined the terms “transitional object” and “transitional phenomena” as “the intermediate area of experience between the thumb and the teddy bear, between anal eroticism and true object relationship, between primary creative activity and projection of what has already been introjected, between primary unawareness of indebtedness and the acknowledgment of indebtedness (‘Say: ta!’)” (Winnicott, 1951, p. 230). The child needs to have the illusion that the external reality corresponds with his ability to create. The baby will never ask the question of whether the transitional object comes from outside or is created by him.