Fear of Dreams in War-Affected Childrenand Ways to Overcome It

Abstract

Our center has been dedicated to the psychosocial rehabilitation of child victims of war since 1990. This initiative began with the establishment of the first Sunday art school and an art therapy program at the Mose Toidze House Museum, initially serving children displaced from the Tskhinvali region. In 1994, our scope expanded to include children forcibly displaced from Abkhazia. During this period, in parallel with our sessions at the Mose Toidze House Museum, we broadened our outreach to conduct art therapy sessions directly within the compact settlement centers for internally displaced families, including hotels such as "Abkhazeti," "Iveria," "Amirani," "Maspinzeli," and Tskneti.

The decision to establish a charitable center for child rehabilitation within the artist's house-museum was deliberate. We firmly believe that aesthetic experience and the therapeutic power of art play a paramount role in harmonizing the inner world and integrating consciousness. This conviction has been reinforced by hundreds of hours of experience with children and by their own creative expressions.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in War-Affected Children

Psychological traumas endured by war-affected children often lead to the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) reactions and disturbances over time. This manifests as involuntary phobic memories and associated anxiety disorders becoming dominant states of consciousness. We posit that PTSD disorders are primarily characterized by a disruption of personal integrity, leading to a disconnection from positive internal experiences, spiritual resources that foster personal wholeness, and the inherent set preserved within our neurological framework. The actualization of these resources is, in our view, the primary objective of integrative therapy.

Case Study: Matsatso's Drawing

To illustrate our approach, I will analyze a drawing created by Matsatso, a 6-year-old girl from Sukhumi, during an art therapy session at Hotel Amirani in 1994. The session took place within a group setting where children were encouraged to draw whatever they wished. Afterward, they displayed their drawings on the walls and engaged in dialogue with the characters depicted.

Our Method: Subpersonal Differential Diagnostics and Therapy of Drawings

Our method of drawing therapy, termed "Subpersonal, Differential Diagnostics and Therapy of Drawings," involves diagnosing the elements of a drawing using projective techniques. This process facilitates the "voicing" of these elements, described from four communicative perspectives. We formally presented this method at the Institute of Psychology in September 1994.

Matsatso's drawing depicted an extraordinarily beautiful landscape: a forest meadow adorned with colorful flowers, traversed by a small path on which a lady walked. The drawing was aesthetically pleasing, radiating tranquility and beauty, and, at first glance, seemed to reflect the author's harmonious set. This was not Matsatso's first drawing with us; she enjoyed drawing and engaging in conversations with the characters in her own and others' artworks.

Interpretation of Matsatso's Artwork

In 1995, Matsatso's drawing was exhibited at a children's art exhibition in Tskneti, attended by foreign psychologists who commented on the apparent psychological resilience of the girl, noting the serenity radiating from her artwork.

During the "voicing" exercise, Matsatso initially gave a voice to the sun, which, from its high vantage point, observed everything. The sun declared its intention to illuminate the surroundings brightly, especially the lady on the path, to ensure everything appeared beautiful. The flowers, the blue sky, and the birds echoed this sentiment, expressing their desire to complement the lady, whom Matsatso identified as her "most beautiful mommy." The mommy, in turn, stated she was going to the city to buy a chick for Matsatso to prepare a delicious meal (Chakhokhbili). Throughout this process of articulating the drawing, Matsatso frequently used the word "beauty," emphasizing that her mommy, the sun, the meadow, and everything else had to be exceptionally beautiful.

When we inquired what beauty itself conveyed, what it desired, Matsatso responded: "Beauty says that it must beautify everything around, and especially mommy, because the sound of gunfire is coming from that meadow, and if everything around is beautiful, then no shooter will be able to raise their hand to fire a bullet against mommy, and my mommy will return home alive."

This profound statement reveals the deep conviction of a small girl, watching from a window as her mother ventures into a dangerous meadow, that beauty is a magical force capable of protecting her mother from harm and ensuring her safe return. Matsatso's inner world, imbued with beauty, thus protected her from psychological trauma.

Conclusion

The capacity for aesthetic experience serves as an immense resource for maintaining psychological equilibrium. Matsatso's case is a remarkable illustration of the harmonious integration of aesthetic and ethical principles within a child's inner world, spontaneously generated by a 6-year-old girl from Sukhumi.

References:

1) David AmirejibI, 2000. Psychotherapy and pedagogical problems of the post-Soviet space. International Georgian-German symposium - Current pedagogy and Cultural didactics. Ilia Chavchavadze University of Language and Culture.

2)  David Amirejibi, 2000. Psychotherapy in School: Idea and Model,  International Georgian-German symposium - Current pedagogy and Cultural didactics. Ilia Chavchavadze University of Language and Culture.

3) David Amirejibi, 2003. Fear of Dreaming in Refugee Children. Newspaper "24 Hours", issues: 15.10.2003, №272(484) and 22.10.2003, №278(490).

4) David Amirejibi. (2007) “The Garden Test” – Introducing Cultural Discourse to School. Article in the scientific journal: New Millennium 2007 NEU MILLENIUM. P. 94-105. Publisher: “Universali” Publishing House: Universali.

https://www.academia.edu/43349126/%E1%83%90%E1%83%AE%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98_%E1%83%90%E1%83%97%E1%83%90%E1%83%A1%E1%83%AC%E1%83%9A%E1%83%94%E1%83%A3%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98

5) David Amirejib, 2022. "Exploring the nature of ornament in terms of fundamental ontology and mood theory". Ministry of Kutur of Georgia, Chubinashvili Center. Name of the conference - "Ornament and Culture (30.05.2022)".  Article in the scientific journal - ARS GEORGIA (in Georgian).

https://new.georgianart.ge/magazine/2022%20(I%20%E1%83%9C%E1%83%90%E1%83%AC%E1%83%98%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98)/9