Dreams: Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud Essay

A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntary in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Dreams can mean anything. They can mean something for anybody, someone else, or just imagination. What a person dreams in life is usually different than sleeping dreams. Shakespeare’s play, “Midsummer Night’s Dream” is represented of dreams in historical and modern theories.

The relationship between dreaming and repression is complex and requires thorough understanding of Freud’s theory thus it is better to get to know some of the terms and concepts Freud raises in study of dreams. As all the information is gathered, it is believed that the wish as fulfilled is shown only in a state of repression during sleep.

Sigmund Freud is considered the father of the dream theory. His book, The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), was very influential in the twentieth century and continues to captivate people today. Over many years of psychoanalysis, Freud found a correlation between socially unacceptable desires and the content of dreams (Freud, 1900). This lead him to the conclusion that dreams are the manifestation of wishes that are suppressed by the person because they are not socially acceptable (Freud, 1900). He separated content into two categories, manifest and latent (Freud, 1900). Manifest content of a dream is the actual literal subject-matter presented in the dream while latent content in the underlying symbols a dream is trying to present to the dreamer

Why do we dream? What do our dreams mean? Dreams are a sequence of images, ideas, and feelings that involuntarily occur most commonly during the REM stage of sleep. They come in a wide variety of types, from the peculiar to the downright terrifying; the dreamer has no control over what they experience in their dreams. Though neurologists have been studying the human brain for decades, we still don’t fully know why we dream or what their significance is. Some psychologists theorize that dreams are closely linked to our subconscious mind, expressing our deepest fears or desires, allowing us to be what we cannot be. Others believe that dreams serve no function at all and are simply our imaginations running wild. In the words of Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, “The dream is the liberation of the spirit from the pressure of external nature, a detachment of the soul from the fetters of matter.” (The Interpretation of Dreams)

First, let examined the definition of dream according to Sigmund Freud “dream is the disguised fulfilment of a repressed wish. Dreams are constructed like a neurotic symptom:

Dreams are primarily stories and images our mind build while we are asleep. Dreams can make you feel happy, sad or scared. They can be sometimes vivid or sometimes seems

There's no limit to what the mind can experience during a dream and really no rhyme or reason to what you

A dream, by definition, is a sequence of emotions, ideas, images, and sensations that involuntarily occur in the mind at various times; typically during the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000). Throughout history, dreams have been the cause of much speculation; holding both philosophical and religious interests (Hobson, 2009). Before the days of scientific research, opinions varied regarding dreams, and their usefulness in psychotherapy. Dreams were often viewed as either being divinely inspired or having derived from a dark, evil source. Even in today’s scientifically advanced society; dreams are still not totally understood.

Dream psychology helps to piece together someone's life by using the symbols they create involuntarily. The dreams reflect parts of your unconscious life created by your imagination. Dreams are considered to be one of the extreme parts of your conscious experiments within your

What are dreams? For different people this question will warrant a different answer. Some see them as a view into their own unconscious thoughts. Others may not dream at all, or they simply don’t remember having any. There have been many different theories developed on why we dream. They study what happens in your brain as you sleep as well as how your actions are influenced by the dreams. These dreams often have much deeper meanings that influence us in our daily lives

Dreams appear to have a universal language. In ancient societies, dreaming was viewed as some kind of supernatural communication. Dreams are fascinating mysteries. To begin the discussion of dreams it is important to make the statement that dreams can be considered an extension of consciousness. In other words, dreams can be a way the brain organizes and analyzes the day to day events during sleep. Every one dreams however, not everyone remembers their dreams. Freud believed that our dreams are buried unconscious emotions and as we sleep our mind releases these emotions in the form of dreams. He also theorized that our dreams are ways in which we act out our suppressed desires. The Interpretation of Dreams, written by Sigmund Freud, is

So what are dreams exactly? Dreams are a universal human experience that can be described as a state of consciousness characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep. The dreamer has reduced control over the content, visual images

According to Merriam-Webster, a dream can be defined as a series of thoughts, images or emotions occurring during sleep. Form many people, sleep can be a disturbing time, but for others it can be a peaceful, longing time of the day. For me, I LOVE my sleep, as well as any dreams that may accompany my slumber.

Dreams have been around as long as the first civilization came to be and have been a normal part of human existence. One third of your life is spent sleeping, and of that third, on average you will have spent a total of about six years of it dreaming. Most people dream on average two hours every night, but you can have anywhere from four to seven dreams in one night. According to research, the most common setting for a dream is in your own house. In our dreams we can do anything we want and be whoever we want to be. Our dreams are an escape from reality. While we dream we are unable to control our actions and choose our surroundings. We let our minds take over. Sometimes dreams can be understood in the context of repressed thoughts. Dreaming serves as an outlet for those thoughts and impulses we repress during the day. When we go to sleep at night and slip into our dream state, we feel liberated and behave in a manner that we do not allow ourselves to in our everyday life. Visions and ides can come from your dreams. Often, authors, screenwriters, and even poets turn to their dreams for inspiration. The think quest oracle library goes on to tell about the most well-known of the modern dream

So where does this leave you? At one time or another you will be wondering, "what did that dream mean?". If there are so many different answers to the same question, how will you ever figure out which one is right? Don't be under the impression that you will find a right answer. Thinkers dating back to Aristotle have grappled with the issue in one way or another. Experimentation has been preformed, both psychological and biological, yet no one can definitively state what purpose dreams serve, or what they mean. Since there is no one answer to the question of dream interpretation, the best you can hope for is to learn about several of the existing approaches and determine what you will choose to believe.