The child motif and its transformation in dream series from psychoanalytic therapies: Empirical evidence of an archetype?

Abstract

The occurrence of the child motif in dream series from psychoanalytic therapies is examined in 38 cases using the grounded theory method. In C.G. Jung's analytical psychology, it is assumed that archetypal symbols with universal forms emerge during the transformation process in psychotherapy. Jung's characterization of the archetype of the divine child is presented, as is the controversy surrounding the distinction between the child archetype and the concept of the inner child. Qualitative analysis confirms a characteristic form of the child motif's appearance across different dream series, as well as a characteristic developmental dynamic of the motif. While at the beginning of the dream series/therapies, the dream ego is indifferent or hostile toward the child, it increasingly takes responsibility for the child as the series progresses and is able to care for it successfully. This development goes hand in hand with progress in psychotherapy. The implications for the validity of Jung's archetype theory are discussed.