The Interpretation of Dreams

In “On Dreams”, Freud (1901) lays out many of his thoughts of the fundamentals about dreams and their interpretation through the interpretation of his own dream which occurred on July 23-24th, 1895. In this case study, the fundamental concepts of dream interpretation will be outlined beginning with an analysis of the difference between manifest and latent content of dreams. Also included will be a discussion of of condensation and displacement as forms of distorting dreams and the related concepts of censorship and repression. It is the purpose of this paper to detail the aspects of the work which provided the foundation and impetus for the psycho-analytic movement from which his ideas furthermore emerged. Fundamentally, Freud believed that dreams were an emotional and intellectual substitution for actual thoughts. He used his own dream about, briefly, eating…

of his complexes—those emotional ideas or impulses that had been banished from his conscious mind, but continued to influence his behavior; 2) the analysis of his excessive, obsessional fears that resulted in his identification and definition of the "Oedipus Complex;" 3) the mapping of the psychic personality and their instinctual drives; and 4) the interpretation of dreams and the redefinition of consciousness that included the profound effect of the unconscious. The second phase became an…

Dreams are personal and different for everyone, just like how each and every one of you is not exactly the same as anyone else in the world. With this in mind, psychologists have tried to come up with theories to try and figure out the meaning of dreams to individuals and interpret symbols seen in dreams in order to understand the mind. This process is called dream interpretation and this is a relatively new concept. In the book called “Private Myths” by Anthony Stevens, it says that experts and…

Freud believed in the expression of language to help reveal the nature of his patient's dreams. He used the term 'dream-work' to describe the ways in which dreams materialize from the unconscious and argued that dreams reflect desires (primarily sexual) which are supressed by the superego in order for the ego to develop as a social individual. There are instances however, when desires often escape from the unconscious and are revealed through slips of the tongue or within dreams themselves. The…

Most famously, Freud is accredited with his work published in 1900 The Interpretation of Dreams on dream analysis. Next, there was Carl Jung, who proposed another perspective giving people insight to the meaning of dreams. After years of research, psychologists have made significant progress in understanding why people dream, its function, and to some extent a more valid theory of what dreams mean. Freud “proposed that dreams provide a psychic safety valve that discharges otherwise unacceptable…

Theories and Functions of Dreams and the Nightmare From the beginnings of human communication, dreams have made a significant impact in human life. Dreams, as we perceive them, are a sequence of images, notions, sentiments, feelings, thoughts, and impressions that occur spontaneously and unintentionally throughout sleep. In spite of the culture, society, sexual orientation, or other aspects a person can be defined from or classified into, everyone dreams regardless of physical or mental…

Dreams, I myself was never really interested in my own dreams until one night not too long ago I woke up with that unmistakable anxious feeling that one has after experiencing an unpleasant dream. It made me realize that I don’t talk about my dreams the good or the bad to anyone. Neither do most other people. That is because we as sophisticated adults tend to act as if bad dreams or any dreams at all are reserved for small children. Almost as if dreams were an unspoken taboo. However, dreams are…

The Alchemist: Dreams Dreams are the theme that ties together the whole significance of omens and Personal Legends in The Alchemist. Santiago, the main character, is a boy shepherd who is constantly questioning himself as to what his purpose in life is and how he can fulfill it. Throughout the book, he learns that dreams are indications of his own Personal Legend, or inner desire. The author’s message about dreams is that it takes much diligence and desire to fulfill them but it is all very…

upon the interpretation of dreams. What do they mean? What is their purpose? What do they say about us? Using his interpretation to pull psychoanalytical significance from their confusing narratives, he would examine the dream by isolating certain elements and trying to find meaning in each segmented part. In Freud 's work interpretation plays a key role in understanding meaning, however Susan Sontag in her essay Against Interpretation challenges this idea and argues, “ interpretation must…

Psychology of Dreams As defined by Sigmund Freud, dreams are the manifestations of urges and desires that we keep suppressed in the realm of our subconscious. Everyone dreams; some people dream every night, others once or twice a month, but everyone dreams. To some people there will always be a fascination with dreams and why we have them. How do we take what we do in our every day lives and turn them into something make-believe, which could be both magical and horrifying, when we sleep? What…