Dybbuks, Dreams and the Hereafter
Contemporary psychoanalysis April 3, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/00107530.2026.2656123 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the liminality between life and death and a collective longing to communicate with the departed are poorly addressed by psychoanalysis, and proposes that clinicians' personal beliefs about death may shape therapy with patients confronting mortality. The author's own dream and felt-presence experiences are presented as prompting these questions. |
Abstract
Abstract This article explores the liminality between life and death, suggests a collective longing to communicate with the departed, and addresses psycho-analysis’ struggle with the existential trauma of mortality. The author (LD) describes her attempt to communicate with someone who had died through her dreams. This is followed by a paranormal experience wherein the deceased person ‘visited’ her while she was awake in the form of a felt presence of an angry bird trying to attack her. The author panicked but was then able to set a boundary and extricate herself. This left her acutely aware of the liminality between life and death, challenged her views concerning mourning, and gave rise to questions regarding how the clinician’s personal beliefs around death may impact therapy with patients dealing with this issue. Jewish views of the afterlife, research on near death experiences, and theories of consciousness are cited to understand this uncanny experience.