*****explicit dream*****

I was going to email T. I had a disturbing dream last night.
I dreamt I had a nephew who was kissing me. He called me his aunt and I remember in the dream thinking it wrong, plus me being the adult, I should be the one who prevents the kiss happening, but I don't, instead I allow him to kiss me (adult kiss) whilst trying to act as if I'm unaware this is what his doing.

I read up on incest dreams, and one definition said it isn't really about incest, it's the subconscious getting in touch with the masculine side.

I've been aware this week of a shift inside of me taking place, I wonder if that's the connection.

I'm not sure I fully understand this dream.

Any thoughts?

[archipelago]

Dream interpretation varies so much that it is probably not possible to get at what it "really means" without a lot of background and probing so talking to your therapist about it is the best way to get help understanding it, especially if you find it disturbing or connected to something shifting as you say.

Some say that everything in a dream is a part of you so you may be right that it really isn't about incest. It is about something seemingly taboo though I guess I wouldn't feel disturbed by the content. I guess I expect that people's dreams and unconscious material contain lots of taboo things and that is just part of being human.

But if you have negative associations, it's probably worth exploring what those are, not necessarily the imagery and actions of the dream by itself. It sounds like you may have some more positive associations as well so seeing how everything works or doesn't with each other might tell you about whether something is coming together or in conflict.

See if there are past or current connections to things in your life. Sometimes the connections are not obvious or logical, but still are meaningful. For instance, the fact that you describe your position as passive (he is kissing you, not you kissing him) and that you are pretending it isn't happening stand out to me as significant, even more so than the kiss or his relation to you. Being open to things just coming up is generally a good way to start with a dream.

[Anne2.0]

Originally Posted by _Mouse

instead I allow him to kiss me (adult kiss) whilst trying to act as if I'm unaware this is what his doing.

This is the part that resonates with me. That seems like a potentially powerful dynamic in relationships (and not about sex). Being uncomfortable with a person who engages us in some way we are not comfortable with and "pretending" we are not noticing (sometimes we are more pretending to ourselves more than others).

I think sometimes as we become healthier, certain patterns of interactions that didn't use to bug us start to bug us, they feel like a rub, uncomfortable. But first we have to notice that some shift has occurred that is making us uncomfortable and not pretend that nothing is going on.

[HazelGirl]

Could you be projecting what it was like for you onto your nephew, as the "safe" way to think about it?

Today I told T off the dream
She said some stuff, I said nah, don't fit.
She asked if it made any connections?
Suddenly I'm in a big desperate to escape.
I brought a 1920's authoritarian teacher into the room.
He had to keep the class silent.
T asked where I'd gone?
I told her, she asked if I could just step around what was going on?
No! I must make sure he maintains order, I cannot leave until he has, but one child won't recognise his authority!!
T said you need order to prevent disintegration.....
I left early.