Sigmund Freud's Method and Theory of Dream Analysis Essay

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.

To many people, dreams are the thoughts that occur while sleeping, having almost mystic qualities. For millennia the significance of dreams has escaped even the brightest of philosophers and intellectuals. Many people have speculated about why people dream and what meanings the dreams have but in recent times two theories have gained credibility in answering those questions. The first theory is Sigmund Freuds and the other is known as the cognitive theory of dreams also known as biological determinism.

Both Freud and Jung provided important and interesting theories on dreams; encompassing their functions, their roots, and their meanings. Freud looked at dreams as a result of repressed memories, particularly repressed sexual memories from our childhood. Jung however, believed that dreams delved beyond sexual repression during younger years, to other problems, be it trauma, anxiety etc. Jung also believed dreams changed predominately through middle adult years, while Freud believed the opposite. There is little empirical evidence to reinforce either Freud or Jung’s theories, however, their contributions to the study of dreams in psychology cannot be lessened or denied.

Freud also listed the following results from his studies, dreams can have multiple layers of meaning, nearly all dreams are wish-fulfilling, and all dreams have a unifying motive that accounts for all random images and events. Freud concluded that dreams are the way an individual 's unconscious mind tries to express itself and that dreams “may only have a chance of reaching our consciousness if they are somewhat disguised”. Which explains the sometimes absurd and bizarre dreams that someone can get. Sigmund Freud uses the following analogy to explain his theory, “a political writer may criticize a ruler, but in doing so may endanger himself. The writer therefore has to fear the ruler’s censorship, and in doing so “moderates and distorts the expression of his opinion”. The writer serves to represent the unconscious mind, while the ruler is the conscious mind that stops an individual from doing certain things. Dreams and daydreams are practically synonymous, except dreams occur when an individual sleeps, and daydreams are when the person is awake, but both allow for the mind to wander, so the theory can apply to both, but Freud mainly focuses on the aspects of dreams.

There are many theories about why we dream, some say dreams have no meaning or purpose, others say dreams are required for emotional, physical and mental health. According to the activation- synthesis model of dreaming theory circuits in the brain become activated during the REM cycle, which causes areas in the limbic system involved in memories, emotions and sensations become activated (verywell.com/why-do-we-dream-top-dream-theories-2795931). Sigmund Freud’s theory on dreams suggested that dreams represented unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations (verywell.com/Freudian-theory-2795845). Though these thoughts are not consciously expressed, Freud suggested they make their way into awareness via dreams.

Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Dover Thrift Editions. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2015.

This reflective essay illustrates Freud’s theory of dream analysis. It will begin with a brief overview of Freudian dream theory and will go on to describe the various components of personality structure and the unconscious from a psychodynamic perspective. This essay will analyse one of my personal dreams using Freud’s dream analysis theory and conclude with a critical reflection on the application of his theory as it relates to my dream.

After a friend told me about some weird dreams he had been having I decided to research the meaning of dreams. I will focus on Sigmund Freud’s idea that understanding our dreams can help us to understand ourselves, and live a much happier and fulfilled life. Freud was known as “the father of psychoanalysis” and in 1899 he wrote his most famous work, The Interpretation of Dreams, and

Many people are intrigued by dreams. They are constantly searching for answers, ‎wondering why certain events occurred and what they mean. Dreams are probably one of the ‎hardest things to study, which is why there’s nothing more than theories about them. Humans ‎are self-conscious individuals, and dreams are mysterious and unpredictable. If an individual ‎under a study has a dream that is embarrassing or ignominious, they may leave key parts of the ‎dream out, or even lie about having a dream at all! However, this doesn’t stop people from ‎searching for meaning to their most intimate thoughts. Dreams can be our subconscious’ way ‎of communicating with us about important details that have happened, and even those that have ‎yet to happen.

Freud This view of dreams come from a more psychoanalytical perspective and it shows a probable theory with actual proof and science to support his claim. Wish fulfillment is a big part of most every dreams. Wish fulfillment is the unconscious mind trying to resolve an internal conflict, for example a problem that the dreamer has encountered sometime recent or something from their past. During sleep the unconscious can have disturbing and random thoughts that the dreamer has no control over and sometimes these images can be vivid and life like.

Despite the many skepticisms revolving around Freud’s theory, there are many people that believe in it. In fact according to Patrick J. Mahony (2005), “Freud’s revolutionary book pioneered our understanding of dreams in particular and of the workings of the human mind in general.” Mahony is referring to

Sigmund Freud created strong theories in science and medicine that are still studied today. Freud was a neurologist who proposed many distinctive theories in psychiatry, all based upon the method of psychoanalysis. Some of his key concepts include the ego/superego/id, free association, trauma/fantasy, dream interpretation, and jokes and the unconscious. “Freud remained a determinist throughout his life, believing that all vital phenomena, including psychological phenomena like thoughts, feelings and phantasies, are rigidly determined by the principle of cause and effect” (Storr, 1989, p. 2). Through the discussion of those central concepts, Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis becomes clear as to how he construed human character.

Why do people dream? Sigmund Freud claims that one dreams to satisfy their own wishes. Some studies suggest that people dream to file away memories. To develop and preserve neural pathways is another theory. Yet some theories suggests that dreams occur because one's brain is trying to make sense of neural static.

Freud believed that dreams represent repressed desires, dears and conflicts. He distinguished two aspects of dreams: the manifest content (Actual event) and the latent content (symbolic meaning of the event). In Freud’s latent content all of the symbolic meanings had a sexual background. He viewed dreams as revealing conflicts in a condensed and intensified form.

Picture an elderly man sitting on an chair with pad and pen in hand listening to a patient lying on a couch recalling their dream. This elderly man is a psychoanalyst, his name, Sigmund Freud. Freud was a Psychologist who produced a theory on personality called the Psychoanalytic perspective. This perspective proposes that personality is the result of animal-like driving forces that often conflict with one another and sometimes are unconscious. All references and terminology regarding Freud are taken from Ciccarelli, S.K., & White N.J.(2013). Psychology an exploration (2nd edition) New Jersey: Pearson Eduction, Inc. According to Freud dreams permit us to express these desires without the regulations of our conscious thought processes. In