Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fall 2009 Two Tongues for a Dream: A Hermeneutic Study Marta Bachino Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Bachino, M. (2009). Two Tongues for a Dream: A Hermeneutic Study (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/255 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TWO TONGUES FOR A DREAM: A HERMENEUTIC STUDY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Marta Bachino December 2009 Copyright by Marta Bachino 2009 TWO TONGUES FOR A DREAM: A HERMENEUTIC STUDY By Marta Bachino Approved October 16, 2009 ________________________________ ________________________________ Roger Brooke, Ph.D., ABPP Eva Simms, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Professor of Psychology (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ Ronald Jalbert, Ph.D. Jungian Analyst (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D., Dean Daniel Burston, Ph.D. McAnulty College and Graduate School of Chair, Department of Psychology Liberal Arts Professor of Psychology Professor of History iii ABSTRACT TWO TONGUES FOR A DREAM: A HERMENEUTIC STUDY By Marta Bachino December 2009 Dissertation supervised by Professor Roger Brooke, Ph.D., ABPP. Although bilingualism is a common feature of clinical work with patients, the specific aspects of working with the dreams of the bilingual patient have not been much discussed. This qualitative study explored the discrepancies that arise in the linguistic expressions of the psychological complexes when dreams are worked simultaneously in the dreamer’s native and second language. The aim was to learn more about the significance of including the bilingual patient’s native tongue when working with dreams in a dreamer's second language. Key concepts on the study of language, dreams, psychological complexes, linguistics and psychoanalysis situated the research using various theoretical perspectives, such as Merleau-Ponty’s and Ricoeur’s understanding of language, Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, as well as Jungian and post-Jungian’s analytical psychology. The focal point was the important role of words, phonetics, and iv grammar in the unconscious association process, particularly as it was revealed in the presence of complexes in dreams. This literature review served as a framework for an empirical investigation in which bilingual participants’ dream texts written down in both languages (i.e., Spanish and English) were compared to find linguistic discrepancies between them. The data was collected after the administration of the Spanish version of Jung’s Word Association Experiment to five participants to obtain a map of their psychological complexes. The participants wrote down three personal dream narratives in both their native and second languages, and they included their associations to each dream. The results demonstrated that the mother tongue describes better the dream ego’s experience and brings in childhood and family of origin life, while revealing complexes more straightforwardly. However, for a person who has a life in two languages, both tongues would potentially carry the emotional tone of complexes in dreams. Clinically, these results suggest an analytic attitude that is sensitive to the intrinsic and lively link between words and complexes, and is alert to the sound of words in their polysemy and metaphorical dimensions in bilingual patients. v DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my dearest Pancho, Victoria and Joaquín, and to all my ancestors who lived a life in two languages. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Throughout the process of writing this dissertation, there have been many people who provided me support, help and encouragement to bring it to its completion. First and foremost, I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee: the director, Dr. Roger Brooke, who has been very helpful and supportive, and the readers Dr. Eva Simms and Dr. Ronald Jalbert. You all have been crucial for the developing of this work in its methodological, theoretical and clinical perspectives. I would like to thank the five participants of this dissertation, Ann, John, Lily, Rose and Katy for their contribution, time and openness to share their inner life with me. During my years at Duquesne, many professors have creatively motivated my learning process. I would like to thank Dr. Barbara Esgalhado, Dr. Connie Fischer, Dr. Paul Richer, Dr. Suzanne Barnard, Dr. Leswin Laubscher, Dr. Bruce Fink, and Dr. Daniel Burston. Also, my classmates and friends have been vital in this long process; especial thanks to Emilija Georgievska, Akiko Motomura, Lynn Harper, Vanessa Thompson and Sonja Embree. Thanks for the good conversations and editing work. I would like to thank Linda and Amanda Pasqualino who have been very supportive and loving towards my family, and to Norma Coleman and Marilyn Henline. Many thanks for being my angels throughout all this process. I deeply thank Jan Marlan and Pauline Napier for their wisdom and friendship. And, many thanks to all my teachers and colleagues at the C. G. Jung Institute Analyst Training Program of Pittsburgh, where I received the other key piece of my education as a clinical psychologist. vii Last, but in no way least, I want to thank my husband Pancho, and Joaquín and Victoria, for their time, patience and love during this writing process. And to my two extended families, the Bachino Krebs and the Téllez Téllez: many thanks for your love and support. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract.............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication.......................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiii List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... xvi 1. Introduction 1.1 Background…………………………………………………………………....1 1.2 The Problem to be investigated……………………………...………………. 3 1.3 Summary………………………………………………………………….….10 2. Language, the unconscious, complexes, and dreams 2.1 Overview…………………………………………………………………..…12 2.2 A Phenomenological Approach to Language……………………………..…13 Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Language………………………….14 Ricoeur: The Polysemy of Words and the use of Metaphor……………..20 Summary…………………………………………………………………25 2.3 The Discourse of the Unconscious: Linguistics and Psychoanalysis……..…28 Freud and the Language of the Unconscious: A general Perspective……29 Lacan: The Unconscious is structured like a Language………….……....36 Summary……………………………………………...………………….47 2.4 Jung’s Association Experiments: Complexes, Words, and Dreams………....49 The Word Association Experiment...……………………………..…...…50 Jung’s Complex Theory………………………..………………………...62 A Jungian Approach to Dreams and the role of Complexes……….….…71 Summary…………………………………………………………………79 3. Method 3.1 Overview……………………………………………………………….……81 ix 3.2 Nature and Description of the Methodology………………………...………82 3.3 Research Design……………………………………………………..………85 Practical Considerations……………………………………….…..…….86 Participants………………………………………….….…..……86 Search for Participants……………………………………..….... 87 Meeting with Participants…………………………………..……87 Administration of Jung’s Word Association Experiment…..……89 Ethical Considerations………………………………………………..….92 Protection of Participants………………………...…….…..…….92 3.4 Analysis of the Data…………………………………………………..….…..93 4. Results 4.1 Overview…………………………………………………………..…...…….97 4.2 Participant 1 Biographical Information………………………………………………. .97 Summary of Word Association Experiment results…………..…..….…..98 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 1....101 Summary of Complexes in Linguistic Versions of Dream text 1….…...105 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 2…107 Summary of Complexes in Linguistic Versions of Dream text 2…....…111 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 3…113 Summary of Complexes in Linguistic Versions of Dream text 3………116 4.3Participant 2 Biographical Information……………………………………………….117 Summary of Word Association Experiment results………………..…...117 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 1....121 Summary of Complexes in Linguistic Versions of Dream text 1……....124 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 2…125 Summary of Complexes in Linguistic Versions of Dream text 2..…..…128 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 3....130 Summary of Complexes in Linguistic Versions of Dream text 3……....133 4.4 Participant 3 Biographical Information……………………………………………….134 Summary of Word Association Experiment results…………………….135 Summary of significant Differences between Dream Texts: Dream 1....139