Personal narrative essay reveals the therapeutic role of self-state dreams during parental bereavement, highlighting Kohut's concept of cosmic narcissism.
This highly personal essay builds on Kohut’s idea of the self-state dream and his definition of self as in communion with others. Drawing on themes from Kohut’s own biography, I tell the story of my son’s death and my seeking solace in therapy. In it I had a dream that truly fit Kohut’s idea of cosmic narcissism.
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Charles B. Strozier (2026) studied this question.
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