On Dreams

Freud suggests that the work of interpreting and finding the dream thought is complex and challenging and is achieved only through intensive analysis. Dream thoughts are not explicitly present in the content of the dream and are often represented in obscure elements. In the dream, meaningful content and gratuitous content are given equal precedence. Dream displacement conceals meaningful content, hiding it amid unimportant elements. The more convoluted and stranger a dream seems the more displacement is occurring.

This relates to Freud’s earlier ideas about the three classes of dreams. In the second and third classes, dreams are more confusing and unintelligible. These types of dreams refer to repressed desires buried deep into the unconscious. They are distorted through complex symbols to remain concealed from the conscious mind. This corresponds with the theme Repression and the Unconscious, as well as Dreams as Expressions of Desire. The mind actively seeks ways to obscure repressed desires. Dream displacement plays a significant role in accomplishing this.

Dream displacement and condensation are essential elements in the creation of the dream. Condensation replaces symbols in the dream with mixed images; when displacement is added to this process, an entirely different image that may relate to the mixed images in some way may present itself. Analysis abolishes dream displacement by sorting through the information and finding patterns, relating to the theme Making Meaning Through Analysis.

Freud asserts that this approach provides answers to two important questions about the interpretation of dreams. The first question asks, “what provokes a dream,” and the second inquires about “the connection of the dream with our waking life” (46). Analysis rejects the idea that dreams are random collections of images and thoughts and embraces the idea that dreams provide essential information about who people are and the choices they make. Because dreams are a representation of the unconscious, the importance of a dream’s symbols is unknown to the dream itself. What appears at first to be trivial information is revealed to be associated with complex desires and obsessions. Freud argues that dreams are never trivial; they are provoked by humans’ deepest wishes.

This viewpoint diverges from rationalism, first introduced in ancient Greece. Rather than taking the dream at face value or dismissing it as meaningless, Freud argues that the unconscious renders the dream relevant. This corresponds with the theme Dreams as Expressions of Desire. By associating dreams with expressions of desire, Freud solidifies the pursuit of dream analysis as worthwhile. Through analysis, the unknown can become known.

In Chapter 6, Freud focuses on dream thoughts. At first, the language of dream thoughts is confusing. As the analyst pieces together the elements of the dream and breaks down its “dramatisation”—revealed through various conversations, experiences, and childhood scenes—the dream thought takes shape. The dream thought combines all these elements with the overarching meaning and theme of the dream. Condensation allows the dream to conflate all these ideas and concepts. Condensation takes all the psychical matter of the day and compresses it.

Freud compares the work of the dream to the work of a painter. An idea must be expressed, and a scene is presented to convey the idea. Analysis or interpretation of the idea can only be achieved through the examination of the scene or narrative of the work. Dreams present unique narratives, however, that are reversed from traditional stories. Two dreams occurring in the same night are likely about the same dream thought. The beginning of the dream is the deduction, and the end is the hypothesis. Oppositions or choices in dreams are represented by the same object, typically expressed in reversal.

Freud’s description of the function of dreams is noteworthy, as it lends autonomy and agency to the unconscious mind. In his estimation, dreams make intentional choices about concealing or distorting information. This contributes to the theme Repression and the Unconscious. The unconscious mind employs a process to hide repressed desires from the conscious mind; it acts as though it is capable of self-determination.

The more obscure and absurd a dream is, the more likely it is that the dream thought is one of disagreement. Freud gives his own dream as an example. At first, the dream seems completely incoherent and foolish. Freud argues that dream thoughts have method and intention. He breaks down the elements of the dream and their various associations. Freud then explores the ego in the dream, which he claims is the inspiration for all dreams. The psychologist’s reference to the ego in this section provides a foundation for his later work “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” (1920), which explores the function of the ego, id, and superego. The psychologist argues that all dreams function as the expression of a wish or deep desire, corresponding with the theme Dreams as Expressions of Desire. The dream is only ever about the desires of the self, or the ego, which regulates both desire for pleasure and desire to follow the rules and do the right thing within society.

Dream content and dream thoughts combine to form a larger narrative called “dream composition” (59). The psychologist must reject the dream composition, as it attempts to comprise its own meaning and interpretation. Dream composition is a function of the mind to make the dream intelligible. By rendering the components of the dream intelligible, the dream falsifies its true meaning. Therefore, even the most convoluted dreams have a narrative structure. The unconscious mind conceals repressed desires from consciousness, and the dream presents information in strange and disjointed, but coherent, ways.