Dr. Seager, this piece is amazing. I hope you won’t mind me telling you that I laughed at your Wizard of Oz epiphany. I too watched this movie as a very young child, though I don’t think I share your trauma. For the longest time, The Wizard of Oz was the ONLY movie my over-protective parents let me watch. I must have watched this movie hundreds of times before I was 10 years old. To them, it was the epitome of wholesome, family entertainment. For some strange reason, no other movie made the cut. And yet, as you point out, this film is bloated with anxiety provoking trip-wires for small children.

I have thought that my eccentricity and personality might be somewhat molded by the many repeated viewings of this bizarre film. Thankfully I am not plagued by obsession over past partners, but I also don’t believe I have worked through even the tip of the iceberg of past trauma. Thanks for the tip to ask my brain for help working out the problem though!