Conclusions
There is one other matter that Frank brought up during our conversation regarding his dreams. Frank not only lost his wife several years ago, he also was diagnosed with a mild case of Prostate Cancer. While the cancer had not spread outside his Prostate Gland, he did have a P.S.A. (Prostate Specific Antigen) count of 11. Facing this rather high count, Frank had radiation treatment and received several injections of a drug which significantly reduced his production of testosterone. Frank’s P.S.A. count is now well below 1.0. Frank, in essence, was “chemically castrated” (though none of his physicians ever used this term).
The remarkable thing reported by Frank is that he has rarely had a sexually oriented dream since being given the drug (and after completing radiation). It seems that testosterone is required for folks (at least men) to have not just an active sex life when awake but also an active sex life when asleep. Frank notes that he is more likely now to have a dream about helping out rather than making love to a woman. He dreams about snuggling up with a woman on his couch or simply walking hand-in-hand with a woman on that beach near his home. I would suggest that Frank’s testosterone might have been replaced in his dreams (and perhaps in his waking life) by frequent production of oxytocin (which enhances bonding and nurturing functions).
Frank suggests that he might have become “a better man” since becoming less of a “sexual fiend.” He is driven now more by his head and heart than by his loins. Together with a strong dose of sublimation and secondary autonomy, Frank’s chemical castration has helped him change the content of his dreams–and perhaps some of his interpersonal relationships. His emotional I.Q. might have even moved up a notch with fewer sexual distractions. Frank is pleased with this transition in his life—though at times he still wishes that an occasional erection might be there when he wakes up after a dream!!!
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References
Bandura, Albert (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, New York: Worth Publishing.
Barrett, Deirdre (2001) The Committee of Sleep. New York: Crown Publishers.
Bergquist, William (2023a) The Pelican: Structure, Dynamics, Function and Meaning of a Nightmarish Dream. Library of Professional Psychology. Link: https://library.psychology.edu/the-pelican-structure-dynamics-function-and-meaning-of-a-nightmarish-dream/
Bergquist, William (2023b) Robert, Elizabeth and a Girl on the Beach: Dreams, Hollywood and Mythmaking, Library of Professional Psychology. Link: https://library.psychology.edu/robert-elizabeth-and-a-girl-on-the-beach-dreams-hollywood-and-mythmaking/
Bergquist, William (2023c) Dreamer Beware: The Insightful dreams of Sarah, Dan and Katherine, Library of Professional Psychology. Link: Dreamer Beware: The Insightful Dreams of Sarah, Dan and Katherine | Library of Professional Psychology
Bergquist, William (2024) I Dreamed I Was Flying: A Developmental Representation of Competence. Library of Professional Psychology. Link: I Dreamed I Was Flying: A Developmental Representation of Competence | Library of Professional Psychology
