I was outside the room while Grandma Xiangxiang (a neighbor from my hometown) was inside. We played chess across the window sill. Later, I grabbed some strip-shaped snacks from the windowsill—not very nutritious but slightly sweet—and continued the game inside.
On Xiangxiang Grandma's side, it became my brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law said to my brother, "I never asked you to be president (unspecified)" (it seemed my brother's chess move also had a flaw). I placed my piece upstream, and my brother was thinking about where to place his.I feared if they delayed their move much longer, my main black piece (like in Go) would be swept downstream, all the way to the riverbed (a crushing defeat). (My brother finally placed his piece.) A rather honest-looking young man in homespun clothes moved my black piece slightly upstream (it seemed it had been placed on the back of the tabletop). He said, "Everyone calls me Xiaoxia (a colleague who also appeared in last week's dream)."
Background Info: The dreamer is a male university instructor, unmarried. Since childhood, he has struggled with his mother-son relationship. His mother has an impatient personality, is overly concerned and nagging, and interferes in everything, causing the dreamer's growth process to be filled with conflicts between dependence and independence.
Therapeutic Notes
Xishan: At the beginning, you were outside the room, and Grandma Xiangxiang was inside?
Dreamer: Yes.Grandma Xiangxiang likely still represents my mother, as she has in the past.
Xishan: Perhaps. Can you associate this with any snacks?
Dreamer: Probably something like french fries. Something unhealthy, slightly sweet. Probably worse than french fries.
Xishan: Later, the scene shifts to you inside the room, and your chess opponents become your brother and sister-in-law.
Dreamer: Right.
Xishan: Was this change caused by eating the fries? (Symbolism: sexual activity)
Dreamer: I entered the room holding them.
Xishan: It seems like entering the room symbolizes sexual activity.
Dreamer: Right.
Xishan: Was this change caused by eating the fries? (Symbolism: sexual activity)
Dreamer: I came in holding them, entered the room.
Xishan: You seemed worried—worried your black pieces would be swept downstream. That depended on your brother's move speed, but he hesitated, correct?
Dreamer: Yes, I didn't understand what my sister-in-law was saying.
Xishan: Let's set that aside for now. Once your brother made his move, your black stone was saved and not swept away, correct?
Dreamer: Yes. Then Xiaoxia appeared at the other end of the table and moved my black stone upstream again.
Xishan: Imagine a river flowing across the table. You're upstream, Xiaoxia downstream, and your brother and sister-in-law on the opposite bank. Does that make sense?
Dreamer: Yes, it does.
Xishan: What kind of person is Xiaoxia in real life?
Dreamer: He reminds me of myself when I first started at my workplace—a bit distant from others. But he's honest and down-to-earth.
Xishan: So "Xiaoxia" represents your past self.
Dreamer: Yes.
Xishan: Your brother likely symbolizes a more mature version of yourself than today, while your sister-in-law represents the more mature feminine aspect of yourself—corresponding to your girlfriend.
Dreamer: Yes, yes, I agree. I admire my brother's rationality and decisiveness; I hope to be like him.
Xishan: So your more mature self can make effective counter-moves to stabilize the black pieces you're currently playing. This means the actions you're taking now can be remedied and won't be swept away by the flow of time.
Dreamer: Oh, I see! But the "brother's" moves also have weaknesses!
Xishan: The "brother's" moves are essentially your own. There's no such thing as a perfect counter-move.Is "Brother's" game a continuation of "Grandma Xiangxiang's" endgame?
Dreamer: I don't know.
Xishan: Let's revisit the sequence. When you played with "Grandma Xiangxiang," you were outdoors. After entering the house, "Grandma Xiangxiang" vanished, and your opponents became Brother and Sister-in-law.
Dreamer: Hmm.
Xishan: "Grandma Xiangxiang" previously represented the positive aspects of motherhood, but could it be extended further here? Unconsciously, the emphasis seems to be on "a pair of fragrant breasts." Can you list women who evoke that image for you?
Dreamer: Extend it to mean girlfriend?
Xishan: Try it.Didn't you recently make a decision to clarify your relationship with her?
Dreamer: Yes, I've decided.
Xishan: So you've moved from the outdoors into the room. Though you've made a decision, you still feel uncertain inside. You need role models, need to engage with your more mature inner self, need to envision what your future self might be like—you have worries.
Dreamer: Hmm, "Brother" is more mature and rational than me. What about what "Sister-in-law" said?
Xishan: "Sister-in-law" said, "I never asked you to be the CEO"—meaning, I never asked you to take responsibility. "Brother's" indecision affects you now because you've already placed your black stone upstream and are worried it might be swept away.
Dreamer: "I didn't make you responsible"—that sounds strangely familiar. It's what my girlfriend tells me!
Xishan: How does that phrase make you feel?
Dreamer: It feels reassuring, a bit warm. Like someone's looking out for me.
Xishan: So you placed the stone in the right position. This decision feels mature, autonomous—not forced.
Dreamer: Before, I was hesitant, right...
Xishan: I imagine so, because you had to hold the black stone to prevent it from being swept away! (pause) So now you understand why the snacks felt sweet but lacking in nourishment...
Dreamer: Yes.(Silence)
Xishan: But perhaps that's your subjective perception. You didn't return to the unconscious meaning of "Fragrant Grandma"—a pair of fragrant breasts—to savor those "snacks." You were tainted by her first symbol of motherhood. We know your mother imposed too many restrictions and unhappiness during your upbringing, though in your early years, she was also your "Fragrant Grandma."This is my conjecture, not a judgment of your feelings.
Dreamer: Maybe you're right. When I'm with my girlfriend, sometimes I feel truly happy, other times I feel detached, like I'm just going through the motions. Right now, I do feel passive in our relationship, yet when I'm with her, I also feel like I'm in control. It seems contradictory.Why did "Xiaoxia" move the black stone further upstream?
Xishan: Could it be your black stone has already drifted downstream? The river also symbolizes your emotions—perhaps you dislike the black stone being in the upper reaches? That stone you hid beneath the tabletop—was it afraid of the light?
Dreamer: Why did he take it?
Xishan: Another guess."Xiaoxia" exposed your hidden psychological behavior. He primarily represents your earlier self—honest and down-to-earth. His actions are correcting your perspective. Perhaps you had thoughts of having a secret, intimate relationship with your current girlfriend much earlier? Yet you try to give others the impression that you only recently decided to get close to her, presenting yourself as somewhat passive.Heh, does this make you uncomfortable?
Dreamer: Heh, how should I put it... I did have those thoughts before, but I suppressed them.
Xishan: Why create that impression? I sense you mainly want me to believe it—since I'm your therapist. But in reality (based on previous sessions), almost no one else knows about your relationship, right?
Dreamer: Yes....Why would I want to give you that impression? I didn't!
Xishan: Unconsciously, you feared my disapproval. Though consciously you know I wouldn't interfere in your private life, changes in your personal life inevitably enter the therapeutic field of view. We've discussed transference and countertransference between us.
Dreamer: Huh, sorry! I see.
Xishan: Secondly,"Little Summer" may also carry an unconscious message—the summer you spent with your girlfriend. The pivotal shift occurred during this summer, so "Little Summer" became a pawn in your game.
Dreamer: We used love to "pass the summer," heh.
Xishan: In the diagram, you're upstream, "Brother and Sister-in-Law" are midstream (the other shore), and "Little Summer" is downstream.Do you sense any deeper meaning here?
Dreamer: It feels like a return, a discovery, perhaps.
Xishan: Hmm. Symbolism can manifest in many ways. The crux lies in the interplay between black and white pieces—specifically, the white-playing brother and sister-in-law. Black represents the yin, symbolizing unconscious impulses; white embodies the yang, signifying conscious rationality.
Dreamer: I see. I was originally playing outdoors against her (my girlfriend) indoors, holding black; later I entered the room to play against the "older brother" representing my more mature self, still holding black. So all these changes were triggered by me!(Note: In Go, Black moves first)
Xishan: Mm! (happily)
Dreamer: In reality, Xiaoxia seems to vaguely know about my girlfriend and me. He might talk about it, and I don't like him.
Xishan: Mm, you don't like "him."
Dreamer: I'm glad. It feels more reassuring now. So what will ultimately become of "Xia Xia" downstream?
Xishan: Perhaps it requires more time—accumulating further experience, feelings, and reflection—before it becomes clearer. We can wait a little longer.
Dreamer: Okay, thank you, Teacher Xishan.
……
Xishan's Summary