On Dreams and Dreaming

'As a psychoanalyst, if I have a choice between hearing the truth and a lie, as long as I am told that’s it’s a lie; for in that case I obtain the supplementary bonus of hearing both truth and fantasy.'

Patrick J. Mahony

I picked this quote from 'On Dreams and Dreaming', a volume edited by Sudhir Kakar from Wasan Conversations. How beautifully it captures the essence of a therapeutic relationship and the nuances that unfold with it.

An analyst is drawn to what is ‘not so obvious,’ where hidden meanings reside. By exploring the past, they not only uncover it but also confront it. Within the ‘not so obvious’ lies the lingering impact of experience—both good and bad, real and imagined. This residue consists of fantasies we longed to fulfil and those we desperately sought to escape. In these subtle, scattered fragments, the mind reveals its deepest secrets.