Projective identification and “telepathic dreams”

Based on the pioneering works by Freud and other authors with regard to telepathic dreams, and specifically those related to Klein’s projective identification and latterly developed by Bion and Grinberg, the author reviews some concepts associated with the theory of intersubjectivity. An example of a telepathic dream that emerged within an analytic process is integrated with these concepts in order to propose several hypotheses about their genesis. The main hypothesis is that projective identification and counter-identification, in their normal and abnormal forms, are the oneiric basis of communication. One member of the analytic pair transmits unconsciously to the other the contents of his real life, and the other one dreams about it; this way the dominant emotions and phantasies are made conscious. An emotionally intense climate, especially with abandonment phantasies, is required to achieve this type of communication. These dreams, infrequent in analysis, underscore intersubjective creativity, the “analytic third” described by Ogden. The author mentions some concepts based on neuroscience and quantum physics as possible explanations for the biological basis of unconscious communication.