Dear Friends,
Now people are asking , looking at the widespread interest dream analysis
has aroused: How can I benefit in a similar manner when I cannot dream
or even if I dream, I cannot recall it? Well it is for people like this
that Access Tests have been developed and well tested over the last
ten years with thousands of people. These tests bring out the SAME mechanisms
that produce the dreams and hence what dreams communicate can be captured
in another way through these AT’s. The problem ,of course, is how to interpret
the drawings and this is where my expertise come in. I have published
many articles on this subject so that with the help these rules of interpretation
anyone can administer the AT on himself and interpret the Baums himself
and learn more about his own unconscious.
Now I publish another case study that may be of use to parents teachers and counsellors. A young Chinese girl, 19 years of age , for some reason or other is involved with sex fantasies so much so that she could not socialize normally with the boys. This is also a phobia of a kind that resulted in poor performance in the school.
The Baums are as follows:
A. A ghost-like tree with broad trunks and claw-like roots visible
and on the ground. The branches develop from a central point but with those
on the left growing downwards almost touching the ground. The left side
branches are normal with bunches of leaves and mango-like fruits. Overall
there is an envelope with the left side coming down and joining the
branches.
B.
Similar to A but the left side extended too far to the
left so that it is beyond the square frame. But they have been lifted up.
Definitely mango tree for bunches of mango can be seen. There is one branch
behind the others but shaded so that it is dark. More claw-like roots with
right side darkened with strong shading.
C. Entirely different from A and B. There is a short and broad trunk
but as if standing on strong pillar-like roots. The crown is hairy, grass-like
and dark. Right in the centre there is bird’s nest with two birds and eggs.
D. Very clean tree with a round and clean envelope. Alternating branches in pairs(two of them) with a variety of fruits hanging on them. There is a bird on each one of the top branches.
What does all these mean? Well the left branches extended and falling to the ground indicate a preoccupation with sexual thoughts. It may be related to over-development of the right hemispheric functions of the brain concerned with sexuality, fantasy, dreams, religion and so forth. The claw-like roots also indicate this sexuality associated with fear. Each time she meets a young man, sexual thoughts are aroused within her and because of which she develops a phobia about boys. She refused to join a co-education school because of such fears. The Baum B also shows similar tendencies only that it is more intense as disclosed by the claw-like roots. Baum C discloses the nesting instinct, unconscious desire to mate with somebody and maintain a nest, i.e. home. The Baum D is a healthy one, there is now no more the unconscious fear, she mixes with boys in a normal way . She overcomes the fantasy and learns to interact with them normally.
The counselling was done individually at first and later with the permission
of the subject, her parents and her auntie were involved. The sex phobia
was real enough. The moment she meets a young man she immediately imagines
sexual assaults of all kinds and withdraws interacting with him normally.
Generally she isolates herself from boys for fear of some kind or other.
An intense dialogue followed in which parents told her about their observations
and their opinion. The young girl, 19 years of age , tried to justify her
attitude by defending herself in many ways. Finally after many incidences
where she was wrong was pointed out to her and how unjustified and irrational
her actions were, she became quiet and began to see things in a different
way. I added my weight as a psychologist about her fantasies and advised
her to mix with boys in a normal manner .
It is difficult to point out the ORIGINS fo this fear. It may be related to childhood sex experiences. Another girl a bit older, whom I definitely know was involved in active sex play with a young man considerably older than her( by her own admission) drew similar Baums but the phobia was not that strong. She ended up in the university and after graduating got married and is leading now a normal family life. But whatever the origins, the phobia-like fear was overcome when she was forced to CONFRONT the unconscious origins of her rather IRRATIONAL behavior. Only when she UNDERSTOOD what’s the problem with her that she was cured and learned to interact with boys in a normal manner.