The experience of motherhood evokes powerful feelings, ranging from joy and bonding to anger and rejection. If we can develop a conscious relationship with these feelings, we meet both denied aspects of ourselves—our shadows—and experience the pleasures and enrichment of mothering that serve the individuation process.
You can find out more about Lisa’s work on motherhood here.
Here’s the dream we discuss:
“I was visiting the home of a friend who doesn’t exist in the real world. She lives with her mother in a house near woods in another state. She’s very talkative and a good friend but is ill and can’t work. We hung around the house and laughed and talked, can’t recall what about—shared history, I guess. I was sure this was not my first visit and we’ve known each other a long time. To stress again, the person in the dream is nobody I’ve ever met in real life. We connected well but I had to go. I wanted to call her but didn’t have a phone number. She said she would email me. I woke with a sense of confusion that my friend didn’t actually exist.”
She doesn’t exist in the real world but you regard her as a friend and your visit wasn’t the first. But the you stressed that this person is nobody you’ve ever met in real life. Do you have a problem with the word “real”? As in REAL? How real is the authenticity of a friendship to you compared to the kind of friendships you have in the “real world” and other forms of social engagement you experienced in that world that you regard as REAL?
Hi Ramon,
Your comments are a powerful confrontation. Wouldn’t it be great if we were all in a process group to toss around these deep ideas.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Lisa, Deb & Joe
That would be just great! —a process group…
Greetings from Portugal!
What a wonderful podcast you have here, very insightful and useful.
Regarding this particular topic of motherhood, I was wondering if you could recommend any books to parents who are expecting the first child on these subjects?
Thank you in advance, and hope you have a blissful 2020.
Kind regards,
Hi Susana,
Lisa’s book on motherhood will be released on Mother’s Day 2021. In the meantime you might find her website and podcast a good resource, http://www.motherhoodtransformation.com and wwww.secretsofthemotherworld.com.
Therapist and mother who shares this episode at least weekly with clients, friends, and others. Thank you for your work.