Example: ‘Now I sit on a bed. Near me, looking at a book I am holding is a woman I know. I realise as we talk that her foot is touching mine. As my wife is on my left across the room I feel uncomfortable about this. Now the woman has her left hand on my penis.’ (Anthony B). Often directly or indirectly sexual, as in the example.
The absence of touching in otherwise intimate scene: can suggest lack of ability to rcach out or express one’s needs for contact; a passive attitude in which you want the other person, or a more automatic aspect of oneself, to take responsibility and risks.
Active avoidance of touching: as illustrated in the following example, shows feelings of anger.
The anger may be passive, but such avoidance of contact is as vicious as hitting.
The dreamer moves towards a healthier state by expressing her anger. Example: ‘My husband came over to me with his arm out to touch me but I was so angry I put my arm up to shield myself from his touch and then began to throw things at him to express how angry I was feeling’ (Susie R).
Example: The man was so superior in his attitude, and patronisingly arrogant about the lost children, that I cursed him with a touch, saying “May you lose children of your own” ‘ (Albie G). Touching is also a means of communicating our emotions or intentions. This can be love, anger, sympathy or, as with Albie. a statement which attempts to break down insularity. Albie’s dream also shows another aspect of touching, which is its use to produce a change. Albie wanted to leave a mark, make a change in the man, who is an aspect of himself. Idioms: get in touch; keep in touch; lose touch, lose one’s touch, out of touch, touch and go, touch someone, touched up, touch something off, touch upon, common touch; Midas touch; touch bottom; soft touch, touch wood.