A Case of Transpersonal Visualization

E.B. arrived at my office through a roundabout route. He was a man in his mid-30's, of Latin descent, and had originally sought a woman therapist. But the woman psychologist he first consulted felt he needed to see a male therapist, and referred him to me. Our first meeting was unusual and somewhat difficult: B.B. volunteered little information, except for what I specifically asked for, and he avoided discussing any distressing topics. His main concern, he said, was anxiety, depression, and difficulties with women. As I asked more questions, he went on to explain that both his parents were alive, and that he was the middle of three brothers. He worked at a blue-collar job but his dream was to be a writer. Although he lived on his own, he ate dinner with his parents daily, and his mother routinely did his laundry for him. He was unhappy about this dependency on his parents, and felt angry that his mother was "still buying my underwear." From E. B.'s terse comments, I gathered that depression had long been a problem for him and that in his first year of junior college, he felt so depressed he dropped out of school. At that time, he described having a "nervous breakdown," and so saw a psychiatrist. But after three months of treatment, he felt worse, entertained suicidal thoughts, and terminated therapy. He then discovered the Church of Religious Science and started studying A Course in Miracles. He found that both helped him to cope with his depression, and allowed him to resume his interrupted life. Seven years later, he sensed he had gone as far as he could on his own, and sought therapy for a second time. From his story and demeanor, I surmised that E.B. was very mistrustful of people, and suspected people's intentions toward him to a degree that was almost paranoid.