A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of My Dream

Introduction

Dreams have fascinated scientists and philosophers for thousands of years. One school of thought is that dreams have no meaning, and the other is that dreams have meanings. It is not until a hundred years ago that dreams began being subjected to empirical research and scientific study. Given the length that human beings have been dreaming, it is relatively surprising that dreams have become a subject of keen study relatively late. While there are a number of theories that seek to advance the reasons as to why we dream, there is no single consensus. Taking into consideration the amount of time that human beings spend dreaming, it is quite baffling that there is no general consensus as to the purpose of dreams. However, it is important to note that sleep itself is still being studied, and once that has been cracked, then a more nuanced approach to the study of dreams can be carried out. The most influential theory as to the purpose of dreams is Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory of Dreams. The core tenets of the theory shall be explored below, and then I will narrate my own dream and attempt to interpret it utilising some of Freud’s concepts.

Freud’s Theory of Dreams

Freud’s theory of dreams suggests that dreams are a representation of unconscious desires, thoughts, and motivations. The desires, thoughts, and motivations are repressed during conscious interactions, but they are made manifest when one is dreaming (Mitchell & Black, 1996). So, dreams are merely a representation of what one has seen, heard, or done or seeks to see, hear, or do. Given the convoluted nature of dreams, Freud came up with core tenets of dream theory, which are the manifest content of dreams, the latent content of dreams, and condensation, displacement, symbolism, and projection.

Manifest Content of Dreams

The first core tenet that Freud pointed out is the manifest content of dreams. The manifest content of the dream is what may be referred to as the storyline or the literal content of the dream (Schredl, 2008). The manifest dream is simply the manner in which the dreamer recalls the dream once they wake up. For example, in-class students were advised to keep a journal by the bedside, and the first thing that they should do when they wake up is to try to remember the dream that they had and record it. The recording of the dreams in the “dream journal” was the manifest content of the dreams. Binswanger & Wittmann (2019), note that the different stimuli that one experiences during the day may form the manifest content of the dream. Manifest content should be considered as the tip of the iceberg. The true depth of the dream is not seen. According to Zhang & Guo (2018), the manifest dream is not the real dream because it is something that the dreamer remembers. What makes the core of the dream is the latent content.

Latent Content of Dreams

Latent content of dreams was Freud’s major focus. Freud (1955, p. 197) notes, “If the sense of the dream is judged, as it can only rightly be, by its latent content as revealed by the analysis, a new significant fact is unexpectedly brought to light.” The quote shows the premium that Freud placed on the latent content of dreams and esteemed it higher than the manifest content of dreams. The latent content of a dream is the hidden psychological meaning of the dream, and it appears to be disguised in a symbolic manner (Maggiolini & COdeca, 2016). The latent content is things that are hidden from the conscious mind, and that is why they are expressed symbolically. For example, one may dream that they are out in the ocean in a boat with a beautiful colleague. The ocean, boat, and the beautiful colleague are the manifest content of the dream. A simplistic definition of the latent content may be that the individual feels repressed sexual attraction towards their colleague, which they may not want to express because they are married. The given example may not be a good one, but it captures the essence of the latent content of dreams, and that is that latent content of dreams is simply repressed desires that are not expressed in the conscious mind. Edwards (1977) maintains that the latent content of dreams is highly subjective and so is its subsequent interpretation. Going back to the given example, while for one individual it may mean that they have repressed sexual desires towards their beautiful colleague; for another, it may mean that they have repressed feelings of animosity towards her. For an external observer, the latent content may not make sense, and that is why it is highly subjective. Freud placed a very big premium on the latent content of dreams due to their symbolism.

The content of dreams is formed in various ways, and the four listed in the subheading while not exhaustive, capture some of the mechanisms. First, there is condensation. Condensation occurs when two disconnected images merge to create a single image. According to Brown (2004), condensation occurs when there are gaps between the latent content. Therefore, a shared feature between two disjointed images is found. Going back to the example given of a dream in occurring on the boat with a colleague, the individual may be dreaming about their sexually attractive colleague, but the colleague may have the face of their wife. The other concept is displacement. Jones (1910, p. 288) notes, “In most dreams, it is found after analysis that there is no correspondence between the physical intensity of a given element in the manifest content and the associated elements in the latent content.” The quote captures the inherent challenge of explaining the nature of displacement as it pertains to dreams. However, Zhang & Guo (2018, p.2) capture it well when they state, “Displacement refers to a process that substitutes various aspects of the dream (e.g., constituents, intensity, significance, and properties) of manifest and latent dream to render them dissimilar.” Basically, that means that what the manifest content of the dream reveals will be very different from what the latent content of the dream reveals. For example, one may dream of hitting their child, but just before sleeping they quarreled with their spouse. The anger directed at the child in the dream is against their spouse, but it has been displaced.

Symbolism in dreams piques people’s interests more so if the individual is into spiritual or mysticism things. Hall (1951) notes that people have been so fascinated by symbolism in dreams that they have written books about it with one of the oldest books on symbolism in dreams being written in the second century by an Italian physician known as Artemidorus. Symbolism is an expression of the latent content of the dream, as expressed through symbols. For example, going back to the dream of the boat in the ocean and the colleague, the individual may then dream of a car going through a tunnel, which may symbolize intercourse. It is important to note that symbols will also be subjective, and some will be very far fetched (Hartman, 2010). In relation to projection, projection is the process in which some of the individual’s qualities are conferred upon another individual/thing in the dream (Correia, 2014). For example, a wife may dream of her husband being violent towards her when it is she who is violent towards him. The above four processes show that dream content may be formed in different ways, and that will also influence how they are interpreted.

Interpretation of my Own Dream

The nature of dreams is that they occur when one is asleep, which is a relative state of unconsciousness. That makes it hard for one to remember their dreams when they wake up. One may continue with the rest of their day without any idea about what they dreamt about. In the class, we were advised to keep a journal by our bedside, and when we woke up, we would do our best to remember what we had dreamt and then write it down. I have picked one of the dreams that I had, narrated it below, and will use elements of Freud’s theory to interpret it. Below, I present the manifest content of my dream, which I found quite strange.

“I had a female roommate, and somehow she told me that she was getting married on the eve of the wedding. A day before the marriage, I had a dream. In the dream, I was in a very dark place, and I had no idea what was going on because I was unconscious and unaware of the

conversation that took place. In the dream I acted out my suppressed thoughts and told her a truth I had been hiding. I said that I saw she was dirty. Apparently, my statement led to the death of her marriage even before it began because I had told her the truth on her wedding night. It was very dark on her wedding night, and I thought that it was an evil place. In the dream, I woke up in the dream, and as I was walking around the house, I heard a knock on the door, and when I opened it, it turned out to be my roommate and her husband to be. So, they came into the house because it was wintertime, and the husband-to-be asked my roommate to make him a cup of tea. The husband asked to use to the restroom, but I refused by telling him that it was dirty. I was a bit unnerved by them being there because I kept wondering if they did not have their own home because they had dropped by unannounced and insisted on sleeping over. My angst in the dream was due to me thinking that the man is well established and that they have their own home and given that it was their wedding night, they should have spent it in a different place apart from my home. Replying that the room was dirty affected the marriage.”

Looking at the manifest content of the dream, one can see that it is quite disjointed, and it does not seem to make sense. Using Freud’s theory of dreams, I will analyse the dream. First, I will look at the location. The dream seemed to be a dream within a dream. The first location is a very dark place that I cannot identify and the second location is in my living too. The darkness of the first location when I tell my roommate something about her husband to be is symbolic of the qualms I have about her getting married to that man. The truth is that I never liked the man, but I chose to keep quiet because she is my roommate, The fact that she brought the man over to my house unannounced is also significant because she has brought an individual that I do not like into a space that I treasure. Directing my attention to the weather, I have no doubt that it is an element of my daily residue. Just before I slept, I was watching a movie which is set in winter, and that may be why the season in my dream in winter.

Additionally, I see a bit of projection in the dream. My roommate gets angry at me for not being nice to her husband. In essence, I am angry at her, given that she told me she was getting married on the eve of the wedding. Also, I see a bit of wish fulfillment in the dream though it is negative. My statements lead to the death of their marriage, even before it begins. In the marriage having issues and not surviving, my wish of her not spending the rest of her life with that man is fulfilled. All in all, the dream was quite disjointed, and the wish-fulfillment was quite dark.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dreams will continue to be a fascinating subject to explore, and as all subjects of scientific inquiry, there will always be differences in how they are perceived. Freud advanced his theory of dreams, where he placed a premium on the nature of dreams. He divided dreams into manifest content and latent content. Many individuals rarely remember the manifest content, which means that they cannot explore the latent content. Having a dream journal may help in recording the manifest content which will then aid in exploring the latent content. Freud’s exploration of dreams gave us the required tools to explore dreams. I have applied the tools in analysing my own dream which has helped me get insights into aspects of my unconscious. All in all, dreams are fascinating, and with the proper tools, one can gain greater insights into their unconscious.

References

Binswanger, R. & Wittmann, L. (2019). Reconsidering Freud’s dream theory. International Journal of Dream Research, 12(1), 103-111.

Brown, J, C. (2004). Freud and the Post-Freudians. London: Free Association Books.

Correia, D, R, H, J. (2014). The phenomenology of dreams in the viewpoints from Freud, From Jung, and from Boss, Plus One New Aspect. Universal Journal of Psychology, 2(5), 167-179.

Edwards, N. (1977). Dreams, ego psychology, and group interaction in analytic group psychotherapy. Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 1(1), 32-37.

Freud, S. (1955). The Interpretation of Dreams. New York: Basic Books

Hall, S, C. (2010). A cognitive theory of dream symbols. The Journal of General Psychology, 48(2), 169-186.

Hartman, E. (2010). Meteorite or gemstone? Dreaming as one end of a continuum of functioning: Implications for research and for the use of dreams in therapy and self-knowledge. Dreaming, 20(2010), 149-168.

Jones, E. (1910). Freud’s theory of dreams. The American Journal of Psychology, 21(2), 283-308.

Maggiolin, A. & Codeca, L. (2016). The typical contents of Freud’s and Jung’s dreams. International Journal of Dream Research, 9(1), 1-5.

Mitchell, A, S. & Black, J, M. (1996). Freud and Beyond: A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought. New York: Basic Books

Schredl, M. (2008). Freud’s interpretation of his own dreams in “The Interpretation of Dreams”> A continuity perspective. International Journal of Dream Research, 1(2), 44-47.

Zhang, W. & Guo, B. (2018). Freud’s dream interpretation: A different perspective based on the self-organization theory of dreaming. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(2018), 1553-1556.

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