Freud - The Interpretation of Dreams

In the ninetieth century Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud developed numerous essays concerning psychological understandings of the unconscious mind. Sim (2005) indicates that “Freud’s concept of the unconscious distinguishes psychoanalysis from other psychologies” (p.215). He believed that the unconscious had its own energy, logic and ethics which differ from that of the conscious mind. He theorised that the central content to our unconscious mind is our repressed desires in life. He developed this concept further in his essay The Ego and the Id (1923). In this essay he theorised that our superego forces repression which the id then stores, and the ego then balances the two through external reality (Sim, 2005: 215). Freud’s theories regarding the unconscious influenced postmodern ideas, especially concerning its implication of desire; this can now be identified in many twentieth century texts (Sim, 2005: 216). 

The Mind

In Freud’s essay “The Interpretation of Dreams” he develops his ideas regarding the psyche further in relation to dream psychology. He explains that a dream can act as a wish-fulfilment for our unknown desires that store in the unconscious mind. As Kline (1984) explains, it would then appear that “dreams reflect matters of psychological importance to the dreamer”, and in doing so reveal the primary process of id activity (p.79-82). In his thesis he continues by outlining some of the reasons as to why we dream and what they can tell us about ourselves. Firstly he claims that they can often be a result of the physical sense (Freud,1913 :104). He explains this idea by identifying the physical urge of thirst, by suggesting that if the dreamer is unconsciously thinking about drinking or having a drink, more than likely they will wake up and get a drink. This example shows how the unconscious mind breaks through the barrier into the conscious mind through the power of sensual stimulation. 

Secondly he observes that dreams can carry symbolic meanings and messages and act as a “realisation of an apprehension” (Freud, 1913: 105). Therefore this could reflect an unknown desire to the dreamer. He explains that dreams can be capable of teaching us something new, revolutionary; which concerns our internal psychic process. Dreams can function as a self-discovery mechanism, in which we learn our hidden truths (Freud, 1913: 104).

Freud (1913) further suggests that there is a clear distinction between the dreams of a child and that of an adult. He categorised children’s dreams as being more “simplistic...and less complicated than those of adults” (p. 107). He explains that this is because the child “does not yet know sexual desire” (p. 110); therefore they will have no reason to repress such complex emotions. However for adults this motive is commonly evident in dreams and can therefore act as a form of escapism, to escape the realities of life and also personal battles with the self, such as sexuality. This issue is confronted in Puig’s novel Kiss of the Spider Woman as the two main characters slowly learn their true desires in life which is revealed through fragments of their dreams.    

References

Freud, S. (1913) The Interpretation of Dreams. Kessinger. [Online]. Available from: http://www.kessinger.net/ [Accessed 10 January 2013].  

Kline, P. (1984) Psychology and Freudian Theory. London: Methuen.

Sim, S. (2005) The Routledge Companion to Postmodernism. 2^nd edition. Oxon: Routledge.