Freud & Dreams

Freud's dream theory is linked inextricably to his theory of personality development, i.e., the breakdown of the human psyche into the Ego, Superego and Id. Dreaming to Freud was another mode or form of thinking that was unique to the dream state. He argued that all dreams had meaning. The meaning of dreams is only given context by our awake state. Freud believed dreams represented the deepest desires of the dreamer, desires for money, love, acceptance or any other strong yearning of the individual. Freud believed dreams unfold when the individual experiences "ego collapse." To understand this phenomena more completely, one must understand the relationship between the Ego, Superego and Id. The id is the portion of the personality that is based solely on irrational, instinctual drives. The id exists only to supply conscious expression to our need for instinct fulfillment. It is based only on the pleasure principle. If something brings pleasure the id wants to achieve it, and if something causes pain the id wishes to avoid it. Since the id is irrational in its desires, the ego exists as the conscious mechanism which monitors the id to prevent its irrational desires from bringing harm to the self. The super-ego puts pressure upon the ego much as the id does, but in a different manner. The super-ego is the idealized unconscious self that places harsh demands upon the ego that often are irrational in the external reality like many of th

Related Essays

Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams .... This helps explain why Freud characterizes dreams as a "royal road" and as a "guardian." It also helps explain why The Interpretation of Dreams, first .... (3684 15 )

Freud & Jung's Theories of Dreams .... Freud's and Jung's ideas that dreams mean something have certainly not been replaced by a better understanding of the biochemistry of the human brain. .... (2530 10 )

The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud) .... This helps explain why Freud characterizes dreams as a "royal road" and as a "guardian." It also helps explain why The Interpretation of Dreams, first .... (2443 10 )

The Interpretation of Dreams .... Freud interpreted all dreams as some form of wish-fulfillment, and the two clients in this work come to him believing that their dreams disprove the theory of .... (857 3 )

The Interpretation of Dreams .... Meaning in The Interpretation of Dreams Freud introduces a large number of terms to structure his discourse of dreams. Fundamental .... (911 4 )

extension of Freud's psychosexual development of the individual. He believed the Oedipus conflict was the major conflict inherent in our psychosexual development. The Oedipus occurs during the latency and genital stages of Freud's development schemata. If the male child does form an identification with the father he cannot fully resolve the Oedipus conflict. If the child does, he represses the desire for his mother. For girls, they feel inferior because they do not have a penis and so rejection outright the affections of the mother and desire affection from their fathers. Freud believed many of his female patients experienced dreams whose phallic symbols suggested they had formed overly attached relationships with their fathers, and, that the symbols represented their unconscious wish-fulfillment to make love to their fathers. Freud's interpretation of the hysteria and dreams of Dora caused shock and disdain when Freud interpreted the symbols of her dreams to be a subconscious sexual repression. With phallic symbols the interpretation is modeled on penis envy in women who do not successfully resolve the Oedipal complex. For instance, if a patient dreams of an attractive stranger they once met in a library stabbing a block

Category: Psychology - F