Case report, case study
https://doi.org/10.24869/psihei.2026.107
FROM RUINS TO JOURNEY: TRACING THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF A MEMBER AND GROUP THROUGH DREAMS IN GROUP ANALYSIS
Marin Mamić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0893-7805
; County General Hospital Požega, Požega, Croatia; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
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* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This paper presents the transformation of a group member and the maturation of group dynamics over a six-year process of group analysis, in which dreams served as key clinical material. The theoretical framework is based on the understanding that, in a group context, dreams transcend the individual intrapsychic level and become a means of communication within the group unconscious, with an emphasis on shared emotional resonance and the dynamics of the “here and now”. This is a longitudinal clinical case report that follows three dreams by the same member, presented in the early, middle, and late phases of group work.
The dreams reflect the member’s developmental path from defensive withdrawal and isolation, through the expression of repressed aggression, to greater integration of ambivalent experiences of important objects and the capacity to tolerate separation. The analysis shows that the individual maturation of the member unfolds in parallel with the group’s maturation, which gradually develops a greater capacity for symbolization and the containment of intense emotions. The paper points to the important role of dreams in understanding individual and group processes and in deepening therapeutic work.
Keywords
group unconscious; matrix; symbolization; dreams
Hrčak ID:
348205
URI
Publication date:
11.6.2026.
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