Dreamtelling and Meeting the ‘Other’. A Conflicting German–Jewish Dialogue

Abstract

Post-war, German generations continue to foster an elaboration of guilt and shame. One seminar approaches this difficult subject through a process of mourning, separation from parental position, and transgenerational elaboration of previously uncontained emotions (or what has been called coping with ‘the past in the present’) (Sandler, 1987). This may be described as an encounter between ‘me’, the ego-syntonic aspects of the Self, and the inexcusable, bad and thus hitherto ‘not-me’. Without such an encounter, all relationships and identification with this dark side are projected away into the monster Nazi identity, causing an impossible split in the German psychic reality.

Indirectly ‘working’¹ in the presence of an Israeli Jewish conductor, seems conducive to elaborating some of the shame, guilt and identification with both German and Israeli elders. The elaboration of difficult emotions through the relationships and dreams within the group proves to be an instrument with great potential for mutual growth.