I wrote this paper to get a better understanding of Sigmund Freud’s method and theory of dream analysis. The purpose of the paper will be to show the principals of Freud’s dream related theory that focuses on the physiology, interpretation, and psychology of dreams and to explain concepts such as latent and manifest content of dreams, the part of unconscious process, and the nature of dreams role in the determination of dream content. I would like to explore Sigmund Freud’s explanations of psycho-analytic and psychological theory and method to reveal whether Freud’s continuous revising to sexually based conclusions are able to support his own arguments. One of his themes was the amount of activity that goes on in our brains without us even …show more content…
There are numerous theories regarding the function of our dreams, they are mainly based on speculation more than research. This enchanted place of consciousness is what got me interested about dreams. Dreams are based on the individual in that we usually dream of ourselves. I feel that greater understanding of our dreams will have a major influence for individuals to understand themselves better. Why people dream, what they dream of, and what is the meaning of their dreams, are topics of interests with many types of researchers, artists, and some clinical practitioners. Freud believed our dreams gave insight to our deep desires of love, money, and acceptance or any yearning of the individual. The point of view of which Freud interprets and examines the manifest of dreams content to obtain their latent meaning is of a professional psychologist and clinical observer who looked for a way to explain how our minds work and how the individual psychology functions. He based his work on clinical experiences and clinical neurosis of the matter of his own interpretations to be able to confirm his theories as a proven fact. The result Freud gets from the patients he observes and interpretation of their dreams are stereotyped to the complete human condition. Our dreams are objects of endless enchantment and mystery for mankind as far back as the beginning of time. The nocturnal
Freud’s wish fulfillment theory began because he believed that the wishes in adult dreams were disguised in order to reduce their anxiety tendencies. Freud theorised that dreams are disguised by a “censor” of sorts, in four cognitive processes he collectively called the “dream-work” (Freud, 1900) these include; displacement, whereby highly charged thoughts are transferred to minor elements in the impending dream. Condensation then compresses several different dream thoughts. These two are then joined together by the regard for representability, which changes abstract thoughts into a form that is applicable for the sensor. Finally the dream is shaped by secondary revision which basically gives the dream content an understandable pattern. (Freud, 1900).
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.
Psycho-analysis, the brain child of Sigmund Freud, is an attempt to conceive an entirely new field of science based on the constructs set forth by its creator, it deals with all manners of the human psyche, from the human ego, to our dreams, and to our unconscious and conscious minds. In his work, “Revision of the Theory of Dreams” Freud’s unwavering persistence to cement psycho-analysis, and his method of dream interpretation, as an established science becomes apparent. He implies that only a psycho-analysist is capable of correctly analyzing dreams, and in making this implication he commits a series grievous mistakes, he overestimates the value of the psycho-analyst’s interpretation and the values of the associations which the dreamer makes during the process, he then, in accordance with his newfound science and procedure, attempts to pass off these supposed analyses as definitive fact. These mistakes are a result of Freud’s own ego, in his desperation to prove the validity of his science he forgets about human nature and its impacts on the unconscious mind, which he claims to know much of, and the subjectivity of all interpretation.
Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Dover Thrift Editions. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2015.
Freud’s theory is that dreaming is meaningful, unlike the activation synthesis theory. He believed that the mind had three sections, represented in a shape of an iceberg; the conscious, the subconscious and the unconscious. The conscious is the tip of the iceberg above the water involves everything we are aware of right now such as our thoughts. The
He believed by examining dreams he can understand how the unconscious mind works and what it is trying to hide from conscious awareness. Freud broke down dreams into two different types, the manifest content of the dream and the latent content. The manifest content of the dream contains all the images, events, and thoughts contained in the dream, this is fundamentally what the dreamer remembers upon waking. The latent content is all the hidden and symbolic meanings within the dream. Freud believed that dreams were essentially a form of wish fulfillment, by taking those unconscious thoughts and desires and making them into less unacceptable behavior in society
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.
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.
By analyzing dreams, Freud believed that it could lead to understanding the most mysterious part of the human body: the brain. He viewed dreams as the unconscious mind making an endeavor to resolve a conflict regardless of when the conflict arose (Freud, 1900, p.577). Freud eventually developed a theory that the symbols and images in dreams may only be the front for multiple connotations, linking icons in dreams to parts of the body and biological drives. The dreamer may “find the top part of a clarinet in the street or the mouth-piece of a tobacco-pipe” in response to stimuli from male sexual organs (Freud, 1900, p.111). Freud argued in many of his early works that many latent dreams are sexual in nature. These connections separated Freud from his colleagues, such as Carl
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
Freud found two meanings in a dream: the manifest meaning and the latent meaning (Freud 168). The manifest meaning of a dream is what is remembered upon waking (Felluga). The manifest meaning can reflect a situation that follows common sense and unfold in a way possible in waking life. Other times it can take its own wild path that follows little or no logical sequence when viewed at surface level. Despite this vast difference, both of these are influenced by the superego, a part of the mind that Freud believes houses the knowledge of the structure of society and what is acceptable in the dreamers culture. The dream takes place on a stage or backdrop that makes sense and relates to waking life (Freud 216-17). While the manifest meaning is useful and can itself contain a message, interpretation of it can reveal more than seen at face value.
It is universally known that dreams are full of meanings and emotions. In Freud’s theory, all dreams are wish fulfillments or at least attempts at wish fulfillment. The dreams are usually presented in an unrecognizable form because the wishes are repressed. Freud proposes there are two levels in the structure of dreams, the manifest contents and the latent dream-thoughts. The manifest dream, a dream
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.
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
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.