The A Ha! Experience

Overview

A young woman, on the brink of sexual awakening, is shocked by the presence of her mother in bed. The imagined presence of the mother's body haunts all further sexual encounters and desire, directing and controlling the scene of passion. Writes Zando: "The 'Aha-erlebnis' (experience) is the moment when a child first recognizes his own image in a mirror. It is an experience critical to the development of intelligence and identity. It is also a moment when the 'self' is surrendered to the control of an external influence. The Mother acts as the reflecting surface from which the child develops his/her sense of self. Desire for the mother's body, and later for the lover's, mediates the child/female's subjectivity. This is accomplished by controlling love; it is the mother's power to fulfill desire that shapes a child's sense of identity."