008 02 20Frd_Dreams

On Dreams On Dreams

(1901)(1901)

On DreamsOn Dreams

““Since the rejection of the mythological Since the rejection of the mythological hypothesis, however, dreams have stood in hypothesis, however, dreams have stood in need of explanation.need of explanation.

The conditions of their origin, The conditions of their origin,

their relation to waking mental life,their relation to waking mental life,

their dependence upon stimuli which force their their dependence upon stimuli which force their way upon perception during the state of sleep,way upon perception during the state of sleep,

the many peculiarities of their content which are the many peculiarities of their content which are repugnant to waking thought,repugnant to waking thought,

the inconsistency between their ideational the inconsistency between their ideational images and the affects attaching to them, images and the affects attaching to them,

and lastly their transitory character, …and lastly their transitory character, …

On DreamsOn Dreams

“…“…their transitory character, the manner their transitory character, the manner in which waking thought pushes them in which waking thought pushes them on one side as something alien to it, on one side as something alien to it, and mutilates or extinguishes them in and mutilates or extinguishes them in memory— […]”memory— […]”

On DreamsOn Dreams

““But what stands in the foreground of our interestBut what stands in the foreground of our interest isis the question of the the question of the significancesignificance of of dreams,dreams,

a questions which bears a double sense.”a questions which bears a double sense.”

the psychical significance of dreaming:the psychical significance of dreaming:““as to the relation of dreams to other mental as to the relation of dreams to other mental processes, processes, and as to the biological function that they may and as to the biological function that they may have;”have;”

the “meaning” of dreams:the “meaning” of dreams:“…“…it seeks to discover whether dreams can be it seeks to discover whether dreams can be interpreted, whether the content of individual interpreted, whether the content of individual dreams has a ‘meaning’…dreams has a ‘meaning’…

Psychology around 1900:Psychology around 1900:

MedicineMedicine: : Psychiatry,Psychiatry,NeurologyNeurology

PhilosophyPhilosophy: : Philosophy of MindPhilosophy of Mind

Experimental Psychology:Experimental Psychology: mostly research on perception and mostly research on perception and

simple mental operationssimple mental operations

HypnosisHypnosis

Neurologist Neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893)…(1825-1893)…

was well-known for was well-known for showing, during his showing, during his lessons at the Salpêtrière lessons at the Salpêtrière hospital, "hysterical" hospital, "hysterical" woman patients. woman patients.

endorsed hypnotism for the endorsed hypnotism for the treatment of hysteria.treatment of hysteria.

Freud’s dream: Company at table / table d’hôteFreud’s dream: Company at table / table d’hôte

Company at table or table d’hôte . . . spinach Company at table or table d’hôte . . . spinach

was being eaten . . . Frau E. L. was sitting was being eaten . . . Frau E. L. was sitting

beside me; she was turning her whole beside me; she was turning her whole

attention to me and laid her hand on my attention to me and laid her hand on my

knee in an intimate manner. I removed her knee in an intimate manner. I removed her

hand unresponsively. She then said: “But hand unresponsively. She then said: “But

you’ve always had such beautiful eyes.” . . . you’ve always had such beautiful eyes.” . . .

I then had an indistinct picture of two eyes, I then had an indistinct picture of two eyes,

as though it were a drawing or like the as though it were a drawing or like the

outline of a pair of spectacles . . . outline of a pair of spectacles . . .

Freud’s dream: Freud’s dream: company at table / table d’hôte company at table / table d’hôte

“…“…I am led to regard the dream as a sort I am led to regard the dream as a sort

of substitute for the thought-processes, of substitute for the thought-processes,

full of meaning and emotion, full of meaning and emotion,

at which I arrived after the completion of at which I arrived after the completion of

the analysis.”the analysis.”

……leads to questions: leads to questions:

(1) What is the psychical process which has (1) What is the psychical process which has

transformed the latent content of the dream transformed the latent content of the dream

into the manifest one which is known to me into the manifest one which is known to me

from my memory? from my memory?

(2) What are the motive or motives which have (2) What are the motive or motives which have

necessitated this transformation?necessitated this transformation?

children’s dreams show: children’s dreams show:

Dreams are wish-fulfillment.Dreams are wish-fulfillment.

dream-work: dream-work:

……a thought expressed in the a thought expressed in the optative has been replaced by a optative has been replaced by a

representation in the present representation in the present tense.tense.

You should be familiar with the following terms:You should be familiar with the following terms:

latent and manifest dream-contentlatent and manifest dream-content

dream-contentdream-content

dream-thoughtsdream-thoughts

dream-work:dream-work:

the transformation of dream-thoughts the transformation of dream-thoughts into dream-contentinto dream-content

IVIV

CondensationCondensation

• collective and composite figures and collective and composite figures and structuresstructures

• overdeterminationoverdetermination

VV

DisplacementDisplacement

• dream-instigatorsdream-instigators• [daytime-residues][daytime-residues]

VIVI

the dream’s the dream’s means of representationmeans of representation

• for logical connection: for logical connection: approximation in time and spaceapproximation in time and space

• causal relation:causal relation:either left unrepresented, or replaced either left unrepresented, or replaced by sequence (usually in reverse order)by sequence (usually in reverse order)

VII:VII:

a final revisiona final revision

considerations of intelligibilityconsiderations of intelligibility

VII:VII:

• dream-work belongs in series of dream-work belongs in series of psychical processes that lead to psychical processes that lead to hysterical symptoms, phobias, hysterical symptoms, phobias, obsessions, and delusionsobsessions, and delusions

• shares with these processes shares with these processes condensation and, above all, condensation and, above all, displacement:displacement:

VIII:VIII:

““The heart of the problem lies in The heart of the problem lies in displacement, which is by far the most displacement, which is by far the most striking of the achievements of the striking of the achievements of the dream-work. If we enter deeply into the dream-work. If we enter deeply into the subject, we come to realize that the subject, we come to realize that the essential determining condition of essential determining condition of displacement is a purely psychological displacement is a purely psychological one: something in the nature of a one: something in the nature of a motivemotive.”.”

• Freud broke off analysis of his own dream, Freud broke off analysis of his own dream, wishing to keep private “thoughts that would wishing to keep private “thoughts that would surprise [even him]”:surprise [even him]”:

“…“…suppose that these thoughts really suppose that these thoughts really were present in my mind, and in were present in my mind, and in possession of a certain amount of possession of a certain amount of psychical intensity or energy, but that psychical intensity or energy, but that they were in a peculiar psychological they were in a peculiar psychological situation, as a consequence of which situation, as a consequence of which they could not become consciousthey could not become conscious to to me.”me.”

RepressionRepression

• dream-thoughts’ state of repression dream-thoughts’ state of repression (inadmissability to consciousness)(inadmissability to consciousness)leads to leads to obscurityobscurity of dream-content of dream-content

IXIX

Obscure and confused dreamsObscure and confused dreams

are disguised fulfillments of repressed are disguised fulfillments of repressed wishes.wishes.

XX

• ““two thought-constructing agencies”two thought-constructing agencies”• A1: its activity is unconsciousA1: its activity is unconscious• content passes from A1 to A2: but only content passes from A1 to A2: but only

that which makes it past the censor;that which makes it past the censor;• the rest is repressedthe rest is repressed• in certain states (e.g. sleep) censorship in certain states (e.g. sleep) censorship

is relaxedis relaxed• something of A1 becomes conscious—something of A1 becomes conscious—

but only in form of a but only in form of a compromisecompromise

““What becomes conscious in such cases is What becomes conscious in such cases is a compromise between the intentions of a compromise between the intentions of one agency and the demands of the one agency and the demands of the other.other.

Repression—relaxation of the censorshipRepression—relaxation of the censorship—the formation of a compromise—the formation of a compromise,,

this is the fundamental pattern for the this is the fundamental pattern for the generation not only of dreams but of generation not only of dreams but of many other psychopathological many other psychopathological structures.”structures.”

Admittedly, this model includes a Admittedly, this model includes a “daemonic” element.“daemonic” element.

XI: The Function of DreamsXI: The Function of Dreams

Dreams are the guardians of our Dreams are the guardians of our sleep.sleep.

XII: Dream-SymbolismXII: Dream-Symbolism

• most adult dreams represent most adult dreams represent fulfillments of fulfillments of eroticerotic wishes wishes

• most commonly, in fact, most commonly, in fact, infantileinfantile sexual wishessexual wishes

• often symbols help us piece together a often symbols help us piece together a dreamdream