Transcript

By happenstance, I have a transcript of a group in my possession. (All groups were recorded and transcribed.) The person who sent it to me doesn't remember why they have it. It's ordinary yet highly revealing. 

The transcript is labeled "Therapist Talk". According to the transcript, the talk took place in 1994 in a hotel room. (I wasn't there.) Readers who aren't versed in E speak need to understand Bob mythology in order to grasp what's being said. 

In short, the mythology consists of: Bob is uniquely able to recognize and love the real you, unlike your parents. And that causes the recipients of his love to retreat psychologically, to act out against him. Accordingly, Bob is the central character in everyone's psychological development. 

Here are some excerpts. Tam is Bob's wife. GF stands for girlfriend of Bob. My comments are indented and bold. Everything else is the work of the transcriber (except the anonymous names). 

*  *  *

Bob: What do you think it meant that you were angry that day?

Tam: I think it's because I felt good. I just felt good and sweet toward you and really enjoying myself and feeling close. Feeling how nice you were. I think it was a reaction against that. I really do.

Bob: You don't think it had to do with me suggesting the itinerary? 

Tam: No I really don't. You didn't dictate it. You didn't care. You were totally easy. But I could tell that whatever you were going to say, I was going to be against it. 

GF1 proceeds to talk about being angry at her primary boyfriend, Bob's son, for reasons similar to Tam.

Bob: You're angry at Danny?

GF1: Yes but I feel that in general I'm angry at you. 

Bob is always the central focus.

Bob: What would you say?

GF1: I feel like I just want to curl up and be left alone. I don't want to feel. 

GF2: This morning you (Bob) said that I had been acting out rather than talking. I had a fury at being noticed, someone caring about me. I'm so angry about that. 

GF1: I feel so much better when I admit the anger. My anger at living a feelingful life. I really hate you especially. 

Bob: We're getting somewhere with this. 

That somewhere being an intense focus on Bob. And not just the women... 

Don: Through knowing you, I was able to achieve levels of changing myself and advancing and learning to embrace my life. And then I'm out on a limb and I feel terrified and I resent you particularly. I turn on you because you were a friend to me and supported me. 

Bob: That's right. 

GF2: I wasn't happy before my relationship with you. Then I was happy about everything. 

GF3: I felt like I hated myself for so many years before I came here and before I met you especially. 

GF4: There's so much love and hate directed to you in particular, because I've never met anybody who really is acknowledging of each person individually. That's why there's so much paranoia directed towards you. The minute someone turns against themselves they turn against you.

And so on ad nauseum. Creepy beyond belief and ever so typical.