Conrad: You ever have a conversation in your head with someone who isn't there?
Susan: Sort of, sure.
Susan: Oh, is she me?
Conrad: And do "they" come up with things to say to you?
Conrad: --very good, Susan.
Conrad: You're a quick study.
Susan: Haha, I feel sort of dense, truthfully.
Susan: But thanks.
Conrad: No, very few people can I have this kind of conversation with this soon.
Susan: Well that's good to know.
Conrad: So, but she's not exactly you; what is she more specifically?
Susan: Hmm, a hostile part of me?
Conrad: A part of you.
Conrad: Now, what would it mean for a part of you to be hostile?
Susan: Angry, destructive?
Conrad: go ahead.
Susan: Angry at men?
Conrad: For any given part of you, what do you know about what that part wants?
Susan: To get in the way of my emotional fulfillment?
Susan: To hurt people?
Conrad: Are there parts of you that want things that are not to your advantage?
Susan: Well, sure. A part of me wants to gorge myself on candy right now but that isn't to my advantage.
Conrad: Why?
Susan: Because it could contribute to health problems, or to the deterioration of my physical appearance.
Conrad: Is that what the part of you that wants to gorge on candy wants?
Susan: No, it wants gratification.
Conrad: Ahh, gratification.
Conrad: So, it's looking for a particular kind of pleasure that gorging on candy might secure you. It doesn't want to cause health problems, or to degrade your physical appearance.
Susan: Right.
Conrad: How do you feel about having a part of you that seeks out that kind of pleasure and gratification?
Susan: I feel that it's natural and normal.
Conrad: That motivates you to do things that would be satisfying to you in that way?
Conrad: What kind of quality of life would you have if that part were somehow lacking?
Susan: A poor one.
Susan: One without physical pleasure.
Conrad: So when you think about it, aren't you grateful to that part? Even now, while we talk, can't you think of all the good stuff it's gotten for you?
Susan: Sure, I only seek to moderate it.
Conrad: Ofcourse, good.
Conrad: We can't give ourselves over entirely to our parts; we'd get tunnel-vision. But stifling them entirely is equally bad, isn't it?
Susan: Yes.
Conrad: Ok, so the lesson is that every single part of you wants something to your benefit.
Susan: Right.
Conrad: They're all important, they're all working for you -- sometimes in ways we don't appreciate, but with the best intentions in the world.
Conrad: =our own intentions, of course.
Susan: So am I seeking to protect myself in this dream?
Conrad: How do you mean?
Susan: I dunno, from the pain that emotional nourishment might cause if my source disappears?
Conrad: Well, let's look at what happens.
Conrad: So, this lady firing the gun is a part of you.
Conrad: But how does the dream-pov part evaluate her?
Susan: as a violent maniac?
Conrad: what'd we say about the trash can?
Susan: Ah, worthless
Conrad: Right. But what'd we say about every part of us?
Susan: Every part is has a use.
Susan: *has
Conrad: And is working to our own best benefit.
Susan: Right.
Conrad: So--?
Susan: So I'm repressing this part to my dertriment?
Conrad: There you go.
Susan: Wow. That was really quite fascinating.
Conrad: The part of you that has the most immediate access to consciousness (of those in the dream) evaluates this part as garbage, and represents her as the personification of garbage.
Conrad: And it considers her to be interrupting your access to emotional nourishment.
Susan: Got it.
Conrad: And what is it doing?
Susan: Protecting me?
Susan: Working for my best benefit?
Conrad: Of course it's protecting you (or trying to); but what specifically is it doing in the dream with the gun?
Susan: Killing/hurting men.
Conrad: Ok, and what did we call it when the dominant part in a dream manages to alter/distort the message?
Susan: Successful repression?
Conrad: avoidance, sure.
Susan: Avoidance?
Conrad: Good.
Conrad: So, who are the other men representations of?
Susan: Other desires?
Susan: Other potential sources of nourishment?
Conrad: Do you remember the dream I told you about, in the classroom, with the guy in the other room snorting cocaine?
Susan: Yes.
Conrad: Why was he in the other room?
Susan: He was physically distant due to her act of repression.
Susan: Or avoidance.
Conrad: Ok, good... Now, as we bring that message closer to the dreamer, how might the representation change?