ABSTRACT
In psychoanalysis, dragons are generally regarded as symbols of the negative feminine, symbolizing the mother who greedily holds on to her children and will not let them grow to be independent adults. Based on MacLean's model of a triune brain, psychoanalysis has conceived of certain psychological disorders, e.g. borderline personality, as reflections of inadequately inhibited primitive reptilian behavior. Reptiles were to be a repetitive element in John's dreams. For several years, he brought dreams that included lizards, snakes, and other reptiles. Reptiles are cold-blooded animals that inhabited the planet before the emergence of mammals. There is evidence that mammals are instinctively fearful of reptiles, as they were prey for larger reptilian predators. During evolution, the human brain has conserved features of the older reptilian brain. Like reptiles, the patients often exhibit a profound lack of trust, unbridled appetites, and diminished empathy for others.
