THE DREAM IN GROUP-THERAPY - A REAPPRAISAL OF UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSES IN GROUPS

Addressing the issue of the existence of a "group unconscious," this paper views dreams as providing potential evidence on the question. Dream material presented by various members in each of three psychotherapy groups is considered. In each group, convergences were found in the material presented by separate individual dreamers. By integrating a conceptual model of neurological information processing during REM dream sleep with a variety of behavioral research, a conceptual model is offered for the development of a group "disposition," which represents an overlap of both individual and shared group psychic content. Group phenomena of cohesion and "dependency" are derived from this conceptual model.