Psychology

Sigmund Freud is a very important figure in the field of psychoanalysis. His search for a better understanding of the mind and personality led to the development of various theoretical approaches. These theories have held their ground for a long time and have been very influential in the development of thought and culture in todays society. This has happened even with the rise of several critics who have relentlessly opposed Freuds Views. One significant approach developed by Freud was his interpretation of dreams. His perspectives impress on others the characteristic interest he bore in regard to the minds activities. Most of these activities often occur in our minds without our conscious knowledge of them.
In a bid to understand the mind, Freud recognized the significance of dreams and found them to be the crucial link in deriving meaning from the minds activities. The Interpretation of Dreams, is revered as his most famous work. It is in this context that this paper seeks to analyze Freuds perception of dreams. In his book, dreams are seen as being mere structures of individuals psychological nature. He goes on further and states that dreams are quite meaningful and they can be traced to specific levels in the minds activities. Most individuals find dreams to be insignificant and to hold no meaning. However, Freud argues that there are psychological techniques which can make the interpretation and understanding of dreams quite possible.
This paper will aim at deriving a critical evaluation of three main aspects. In his view, Freud described dreams as wish fulfillment. He saw dreams as systems where individuals sought to fulfill their disguised desires through their unconscious mind. It is vital to understand why Freud sought to refer to dreams as forms of wish fulfillment. Freud also uses an objective perception as he expounds on the validity of his view and belief. As such he provides a methodological analysis of the interpretation of dreams. Using a set of illustrative examples, this paper will showcase the methods specified by Freud. The psychical apparatus was a principle which Freud used in interpreting dreams. In his work, he observed the presence of a connection between the symbols of ones conscious mind and those of the unconscious mind.  His successful interpretation of dreams was based on his understanding of an individuals psychic apparatus.
In his claim of dreams as wish fulfillment Freud conveys that dreams are not meaningless, absurd or even presuppose that a part of our minds is dormant while the other is active and awake but that they are valid psychological facets (Freud, 1900). In addition, these dreams are created through high levels of intellectual activities. Dreams are tunnels which guide individuals into their unconsciousness. The desires, emotions or fears that people are often unaware of are revealed through dreams. These important messages relayed to individuals through dreams are disguised in form of symbols. Moreover, the symbols can be seen as an individual characteristic or as a universal entity which all people experience.
In the interpretation of dreams, Freud is convinced that dreams possess ulterior motives. Their meanings go beyond the surface appearances they present. With this in mind, he proposes that individuals be presented with techniques which can allow them to repress any unwanted thoughts and instead concentrate on the associations evoked by dreams. One fundamental view which led to Freuds conclusion on dreams being factors of wish fulfillment was that according to him, wish fulfillment comprised the meaning of all dreams and that there could be no dreams other than wishful dreams. Freud also distinguished between the apparent content presented in dreams with the latent content. The manifest content depicted the actual dreams while the latent content refers to the unfulfilled wishes presented by dreams. Dreams are built from basic symbols which start out as wishes and through distortions they are represented as actual dreams. Therefore, there is an element of rejection which takes place in our minds. The conscious mind rejects the information presented in our dreams leading to the repression of that information. Following this, the mind uses dreams to convey those repressed wishes which individuals are not keen to own up to (Mendham, 2009).
There are those dreams which are completely a reflection of an individuals wishes. These dreams showcase their content and intent without any concealment. Freud thought childrens dreams to be examples of such dreams. They are not only simple and short but they can also be clearly set apart from adults dreams in that they have no distortions. They are simply cases of wish fulfillment. Freud came to this conclusion through the assessment of various childrens dreams. In all these dreams, the children were merely taking part in events where their wishes were being fulfilled and their desires satisfied. In one such dream, a young girl who grows impatient with her fathers constant promises of taking her to visit the Rohrer hut and the Hameau has her wish fulfilled in the dream in which her father finally keeps his promise (Freud, 1900). Due to the young girls impatience in her dream she predicted the fulfillment of her fathers promise. There are dreams of convenience in which at one point during the dream an individual may be partially awake. At times when these dreams manifest themselves they are accompanied by various kinds of activities which reflect a fulfillment of ones desires. In one such dream one of Freuds patients explained to him that the reason behind her constant disposal of the cooling apparatus which she was meant to wear when sleeping, was because she often dreamed of being in the opera where she was actively involved in the proceedings and since she experienced no pains she kept removing the apparatus and throwing it on the floor (Freud, 1900). Freud saw this as those instances when individuals choose to visualize happy moments and in doing so in their dreams they actively experience this happiness. As a result, just like Freuds patients they unconsciously discard those elements which cause them discomfort. This indeed would be what they would want to do while conscious.
With the belief that dreams are inclined to interpretations, Freud devised particular methods which would guide individuals in deriving meaning from dreams. Freud disputed scientific methods which sought to interpret dreams and labeled them as ones which do not allow for this concept to take root. Dream interpretation is seen as the assigning of meaning to dreams. According to Freud scientific methods cannot accomplish this because initially they do not recognize dreams as forms of psychic activities. Freud preferred the use of unscientific techniques and came up with two particular methods which he saw fit to use in the interpretation of dreams. They include the symbolic dream interpretation and the cipher method (Freud, 1990).
The symbolic dream interpretation technique encompasses the content of dreams as a holistic element. As such, this method aims at replacing the dreams content with content which is seen as intelligible and quite logical. Basically, dreams are replaced with symbols which provide an intense meaning to the individual. Unlike the sort of disguise expected in dreams, this symbolic interpretation provides a clear implication of these dreams. Moreover, this method assumes that there is a futuristic element in dreams. The ideas of such dreams are concerned with the future at length and translate them into interpretations which depict future occurrences. There are no identifiable demonstrations on how individuals envisage such symbolic interpretations and this is only attributed to mere intuition. In the exemplification of such dream interpretations, Freud refers to biblical dreams which offered symbolic meanings. One such dream is that which predicted the occurrence of famine for seven years in Egypt. In this dream, the replaced content is that of the appearance of cows in Egypt. At first there were seven fat cows, and then these cows were devoured by other seven lean cows (Freud, 1900).
On the other hand, the cipher method completely disregards the claims implied by the symbolic interpretation method. This technique assumes that dreams are sets of secret codes in which signs are given known meanings which are only applicable to those individual signs. In this aspect the dreams content is divided into parts which are then assigned meanings individually. The remaining element is for the individual to create their own connections to the meanings they have derived by deciphering the dream. Any future connotations are to be made by the individual. Freud assumes the interpretation of dreams to be a mechanical transfer of factors. This method was developed base on the ensuing aspect of distorted and confused dreams which were seen to be fragmented. As a result, they sought to provide special attention to each of the dreams fragments. In addition, this method depends mainly on the availability of the key and the dream interpretation book which contains the signs and their specific interpretations.
These methods presented inconclusive measures for the interpretation of dreams and Freud saw it fit for him to derive a more realistic and fundamental method of interpreting dreams. The psychoanalytic method devised by Freud sought to derive meanings from dreams through a series of procedures. Initially through a serene environment individuals are prompted to give accounts of their dreams, through this method one can trace these dreams back from a point in the individuals memory (Chiriac, 2009). This aimed at treating the dreams as particular symptoms of other unknown issues inflicting the person. Freud applied this method with his patients and in doing so his first goal was to ensure that the individual concentrated highly in the process. They were also meant to rid themselves of any inherent criticism or other negative elements which would lead to the rejection of any upcoming views or issues in the subconscious mind. The main agenda for doing this is to ensure one is in a complete psychic state which allows for the surfacing of the real interpretations of dreams. The energy often used in dreams where ones undesired views are created and then repressed, is used in this procedure as a tool for enhancing these undesired ideas into an individuals surface and transformed into desired thoughts (Freud, 1900). The method developed by Freud implies that the content of dreams can only be analyzed by paying attention to individual sections of the dream as opposed to the whole content.
Freud appreciates that the use of latent content in the interpretation of dreams completely disregards the manifest content which is also significant in the process of dream interpretation. The dream thoughts which are represented by the latent content together with the dream contents all create a description of the two forms of dream contents. Dream thoughts are seen to be more direct in interpretation as while dream content has to undergo a deciphering process for interpretation. In explaining the different concepts which arise from analyzing the modes of dream work, Freud establish the following aspects condensation, displacement and representation.
Condensation refers to the fact that the dream content is only a small and limited entity which would not amount to extended lengths. It is seen as such especially in comparison with the dream thoughts which being an interpretation of the content are quite lengthy and wide. However, this comparison is subject to different dreams and situations. Actually, it is not quite possible for one to claim to have interpreted a dream completely or even give specific accounts of the amounts of time they spent dreaming. There are often times when individuals may have the impression that they spent most of their time while asleep dreaming, yet upon awaking they cannot detail the dreams content. In regard to displacement, some elements found in the dream content are often lost when in reference to dream thoughts. This can be attributed to the psychic force which is expressed in the dream work. On one hand, it strips those important elements found in the dream content and instead elevates the minute factors in the dream thoughts (Freud, 1900).  It is through these two forms of analysis that makes it possible for the interpretation of dreams. When both the dream thoughts and contents are found to be closely associated then they are represented as intimate correspondences of the dream thoughts. Thus through the representation of such relations, interpretation of dreams has been made possible.
    As implied by Freud, dreams showcase various dynamic of the subconscious mind. This makes them very crucial in the field of psychoanalysis as they are used in understanding the underlying factors behind and individuals problems. The physical apparatus developed by Freud can be used to analyze and interpret dreams. This model showcases the interactions present within and individuals mind. The conscious and unconscious minds contribute to the conflicts which may manifest in individuals dreams. According to (Bucci, 1997), conflicts arise from the mental forces of these systems. The unconscious mind seeks to elevate itself while the conscious mind works against this and seeks to repress and delay it. Dreams are normally an interaction between the subconscious state and the conscious state. It is while in a mode of relaxation that individuals experience various levels of consciousness. Through this process dreams occur. Freud believed that individuals are capable of negotiating hidden desires within the conscious and subconscious while dreaming (Fine, 2009). It is through this perception that he came to the conclusion that dreams are a representation of unfulfilled wishes.
    Freuds psychical apparatus can be used to analyze the concept of dreams and dream interpretation. Initially, an individuals dreams are found within the id. These dreams are usually derived from ones psychic energy and often initiated by making childhood memory recollections. These processes often remain buried in the subconscious mind as a way of safeguarding the individual. The psychic energy otherwise referred to as libido is the drive which causes dreams. It is found within the id and regulates and individuals sexual desires. Moreover, it remains the primary element behind the concept of dreams. Childhood recollections imply the presence of restrictions, unacceptable wishes and prohibitions which are deeply engraved in the unconscious mind.
    After the initial stage, there is the occurrence of latent content which becomes regulated by the superego in order to prevent the individual from being subjected to disturbing content. Situations which create this content often stimulate an individuals childhood memories. Furthermore, the latent content also offers protection to the individual from the presence of explicit interpretations of the id. These wishes can be disguised or present themselves as actual occurrences. The concept of dreaming is usually based on the subconscious wish which is found in the latent content. Therefore, by unraveling this unconscious wish through free association, dreams can be interpreted. As pointed out earlier, this stage provides for the dream work process. Through condensation, representation and displacement the dream is exhibited.    The aspect of displacement is normally relevant in dream interpretation because it can be representatives of actual people or time. It links an individuals relationships together. An individual is able to associate particular elements in their dreams with specific objects which are real.
During the elaboration stage, there is a continued negotiation which occurs between the subconscious and the conscious and it is this which prompts the dream into ones memory after they have woken up. The inability to remember some dreams is because only some dreams are consciously accessible to individuals. Often they remain in the subconscious mind. The ones which are easily remembered are usually those which were dreamt immediately before an individuals awakening. After the dreams realization, it is interpreted through ones recollection of their mental activities which through free association can be derived from the unconscious mind.
Freud used the method of free association in the interpretation of dreams. This technique requires individuals to verbalize the various images which arise during the analysis of particular content or object in a dream. The associations made by individuals are further analyzed in order to derive a meaning of the object under observation. The use of this technique is mainly vital in helping individuals to confront the conflicting emotions depicted by the object found in their dreams. Dreams are also crucial in unraveling the elements of specific personalities, traumas, or even inner struggles exhibited in individuals. Therefore, psychotherapy can apply the concept of dreams to uncover an individuals actual feelings which are usually rooted in the unconscious mind.
From the above discussion the factors behind Freuds perception of dreams as wish fulfillment have been tackled. Freud sought to imply that dreams arise from the hidden desires which are found within our subconscious mind and which can only be manifested through dreams. Through the illustration of various scenarios, Freud set out to evaluate various methods which are used in the interpretation of dreams. The mentioned methods are symbolic interpretation method and ciphering method. Later on Freud formulated his own method in order to cater for the deficiencies which were reflected in these two methods. It is thus that the free association technique was borne. The psychical apparatus has also been shown to follow the elements of Freuds dream interpretation with the essence of the dream place on the interactions which occur among the id, ego, and superego, conscious and subconscious minds. Freuds work is fundamental in the practice of psychoanalysis today and its continued influence will amount to future successes in the field of psychology.