ABSTRACT
“Well, it’s not just about me. I have the privilege of entering peoples’ lives,” This statement, made by Mark J. Blechner, encapsulates the quintessence of the synergistic phenomenon of dreams and relationships. Throughout this chapter, the author and Blechner embark on a relational journey. Establishing a connection first and foremost through a shared interest in dreams, the two engage in an intersubjective space detailed with expressions of the un-thought known of experiencing (Bollas, 1987), which is ultimately contained (Bion, 1967/1993) by dreaming. Through exploring relationships that have shaped Blechner’s life and following the trickle-down effect of those connections to the impacts made on the lives of others, a relational psychoanalytic perspective is given on the significance of dreams in the formative elements of careers and establishing a capacity to understand. With dreams as the basis, this chapter captures a relational phenomenon ripe with vulnerability, connectedness, and co-created intersubjective experiencing, thus elucidating the inextricable nature of relationships and dreams.
