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Interpretation of dreams
Interpretation of dreams
Interpretation of dreams
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Blind, deaf or mute, every single human being dreams. People over the age of ten often dream four to six times per night. As we all know from experience dreams can take us to familiar or unfamiliar places ranging anywhere from your own home to other realms. Dream interpretations vary from person to person. Some believe dreams are meaningful while others believe they are meaningless. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Calvin Hall, Frederick Perls, Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley were all dream theorists who proposed different ideas as to why dreams exist and how they can be interpreted. Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and author of The Interpretation of Dreams, a book published in 1899 that revolutionized the study of dreams. Freud’s theories continued to be modified over a long period of time and became known as the father of psychoanalysis due to his advanced knowledge and understanding of the human mind. Freud categorized the aspects of the mind into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is “the impulsive (and unconscious) part of our psyche” which is described as direct and immediate instincts centered on pleasures, desires, and wish fulfillment (McLeod). In 1923, Freud describes the ego to be “that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world” (Freud). Although the id and ego are similar in the sense where they both seek pleasure and avoid pain, the ego focuses more on bringing forth a “realistic strategy to obtain pleasure” and is focused more on the conscious, rational, moral and the self-aware aspects of the mind (McLeod). The superego is influenced by the values and morals of society, which can be learned by parents, teachers, peers, etc. The super... ... middle of paper ... ...s” that can be displayed by ones creativity, vulnerability and hopelessness, as well as aspirations and inherent genius represent the divine child (Adams). A doctor, father, teacher or any authority figure that may provide you guidance or words of wisdom with gifts like magical healing powers are represented as the wise old man/women. The great mother appears as a female who helps, protects and nurtures, and provides positive reassurances. She may also be the opposite and negatively affect one in their dreams by becoming one associated with death or dominating loved ones. The trickster can be the model of illusions, deceptions, or misjudgments. The trickster symbolizes all that cannot be tamed or civilized and can be found in dreams during uncertain situation where choices are being made. The trickster often embarrasses or mocks one and can sometimes be diabolical.
The thought of Freud has a total focus on an individual’s mind and how this internal struggle effects how humans interact within society. Freud argues that every human has three functional parts of their personality that exist within the mind itself: the id, super-ego and the ego. Thurschwell describes these three layers as how they relate to each other. The id is the deepest level of the unconscious, which is dominated by the pleasure principle and has no concept of time except for the present, demanding instant gratification of sexual and aggressive (Eros and Thanatos) urges. The superego originates through identification with the individuals parents, functioning as an internal censor witch represses the dangerous urges of the id. The ego starts as part of the id but is more sensible as it has knowledge of the outside world. Unlike the id, the ego is dominated by the instinct to protect oneself. Although these three layers cannot be physically mapped out in the mind they do show how Freud constantly focused on the internal mind...
Sigmund Freud was born in 1856 to Jewish Galician parents in the Moravian town of Pribor in the Austrian Empire (“Sigmund Freud” n. pag). During his education in the medical field, Freud decided to mix the career fields of medicine and philosophy to become a psychologist (“Sigmund Freud” n. pag). During his research as a psychologist, he conceived the Structural Model Theory, which he discussed in his essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle. The theory states that the human psyche is divided into three main parts: the id, ego, and super-ego (“Id, Ego, and Super-ego” n. pag). He concluded that the id was the desire for destruction, violence and sex; the ego was responsible for intellect and dealing with reality; and the super-ego was a person’s sense of right and wrong and moral standards (Hamilton, n. pag). Freud argued that a healthy individual will have developed the strongest ego to keep the id and super-ego in check (“Id, Ego, and Super-ego” n. p...
Coined by theorist Sigmund Freud, the psychodymanic approach to therapy revolves around the interaction between the conscious and the unconscious. It is believed that the mind is made up for three entities; the Id, Ego,& Superego. The id is known for its pleasure seeking drive and impulsiveness. Often referred to as the “devil on your shoulder” the id exhibits very little self control and is often linked with the unconscious mind. Driven by sex, violence, and impulsivity, the id has been known to encourage risky behavior that normally would not occur. If the id were dominant, a person would behave in a devious, and socially unacceptable manner. Contrary to the id, the superego acts as the “angel on ones shoulder”. As stated in Day,2008, “when the superego is in charge, we are perfectionistic and uptight and demand too much of ourselves.” The superego acts as the conscience by reflecting social standards learned through observation. When the superego is allowed to take control, it sets such high expectations and demands, that is is too difficult to reach such high standards. The only way to stop the pendulum of the psyche from swinging to either extreme is the presence of the ego. The ego is the mediator between the superego and the id, providing moral reasoning and the principal of reality. The reality principle acknowledge that one must not act out id impulses, but also realizes that one cannot live up to the demands of the superego (Day, 2008). The ego helps moderate between these two extremes with the use of defense mechanisms.
Who was Sigmund Freud? He is most commonly known as the father of psychoanalysis. His work sparked a chain of thinkers who can still be found today. The modern views on the brain and its workings can be traced back to Freud. How did he achieve such an accredited title and reputation? What influenced him? These questions can be answered through a look at Freud's childhood, adult life, and death.
In addition to Freud’s stages of development his best-known concepts are those of the id, ego, and superego (Crain, p. 268). The id personality called ‘the unconscious” is the personality that focuses on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain through reflexes and drives such as hunger or bladder tensions (Crain, pp. 268-269). The id concept is impulsive, chaotic and unrealistic.
Although scientists still argue about why are we dreaming and what are dreams made of, modern science found out that dreams are endless, random stories. In the early century, where the History of dreaming starts, dreams were seen as a message from the gods. The brain plays and replays experiences during the night. Studies found out that there is also a gender difference in dreaming. Dreaming occurs during REM sleep when the brain defragments memories and daily life experiences and turns them into random neverending stories.
The average person spends over one-third of their life sleeping, and over this period of time he or she can have over 1,825 dreams (Wicklinski). By definition, dreams are mental images, thoughts, or emotions that are experienced while sleeping. In the beginning, dreams were thought to be messages sent from the gods or spirit world. Researchers now have many theories explaining why people dream. Many of these theories explain that dreams can resemble an individual’s sensory experiences or even secret wishes. All people dream, but only 42% of people can recall their dreams from the night before (“Dreams”). The study of dreams is a topic that is constantly being debated by researchers for many reasons. Dreaming is important because it can impact people’s health, provide insight into what they are feeling, and reveal information about their behavior.
In this paper I hope to open a window to the vast and mysterious world of dreaming. To most people, information about dreams isn’t common knowledge. In researching this subject though, I found that everybody has and reacts to dreams, which are vital to your mental health. You will also find how you can affect your dreams and how they affect you.
During the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, a psychologist named Sigmund Freud welcomed the new age with his socially unacceptable yet undoubtedly intriguing ideologies; one of many was his Psychoanalytic Theory of Dreams. Freud believed that dreams are the gateway into a person’s unconscious mind and repressed desires. He was also determined to prove his theory and the structure, mechanism, and symbolism behind it through a study of his patients’ as well as his own dreams. He contended that all dreams had meaning and were the representation of a person’s repressed wish. While the weaknesses of his theory allowed many people to deem it as merely wishful thinking, he was a brilliant man, and his theory on dreams also had many strengths. Freud’s theories of the unconscious mind enabled him to go down in history as the prominent creator of Psychoanalysis.
The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining behaviour and shaping personality. Freud argued that personality is composed of three major systems the id, the ego, and the superego. The id (biological part of personality) is present at birth and consists of inherited instincts and all psychological energies. The id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking to reduce tension, avoid pain and obtain pleasure. The ego (executive part of personality) is conscious part of the mind, the “real” us.
In examining the Freudian view of human development, the main characteristic of human development is one of a primitive and sexual nature. Freud defines the id as a unconscious part of the mind focused on the primitive self and is the source of the demands of basic needs. Freud explains that the mind of an infant consists only of the id, driving the basic needs for comfort, food, warmth, and love. In later stages of early development, as a child’s mind begins to grow, the ego is formed. The ego is defined as the connection between consciousness and reality that controls one’s thought and behavior. In late pre-school years a child begins to develop what is called a superego. At this stage values are internalized, and the complex connection between the id, ego, and supere...
“Psychological - or more strictly speaking, psychoanalytic -investigation shows that the deepest essence of human nature, which are similar in all men and which aim at the satisfaction of certain needs... [are] self-preservation, aggression, need for love, and the impulse to attain pleasure and avoid pain...” At its simplest form, this quote perfectly explains Sigmund Freud’s theory on human nature. Human beings, according to Freud, are in a constant state of conflict within themselves; trying to satisfy their animalistic instincts, while also maintaining a socially appropriate life. Freud termed these animalistic tendencies that we have, the Id. The Id is essentially our unconscious mind, it is the part of us that has been there since the day we were born and is what drives our life’s needs and desires. The Id simply aims to satisfy our sexual or aggressive urges immediately, without taking into account any further implications. On the other hand, Freud used the term, the Superego, to describe man’s conscience and sense of morality. It is the Superego’s job to keep the Id in check by combatting the desire to satisfy urges with the feeling of guilt or anxiety. Finally, the Ego, is the conscious representation of the constant battle between the Superego and the Id. It must work to satisfy human’s instinctual tendencies while taking into account their conscience and doing what is rational and acceptable. Freud argues that these internal process that are constantly at work in our mind are what shape humans to do the things that they do. Thus, he believes, the goal of human nature is to satisfy our basic aggressive and sexual desires while adhering to cultural and social standards.
In society, dreams can evoke lots of fascination; furthermore for many years philosophers and scientists have tried to resolve the riddle; why do we dream? As human beings we devote so much time to dreaming, so much so that we don’t remember many of our dreams that get disoriented in the realms of us sleeping. Chances are of those dreams we do remember, tend to be difficult to understand; therefore, leading us to wonder why we even dream at all? Throughout the progression of time, many theories have been presented, the two most famous ones being: the psychoanalytic theory of dreaming and the activation synthesis model of dreaming. The psychoanalytic theory of dreaming by Sigmund Freud’s suggests that dreams are nothing but our unconscious longing, judgment, and incentive. On the other hand the activation synthesis model of dreaming by J. Allan Hobson suggests that dreams are a result neural impulses that occur during your dreams, that trigger different areas in the brain which result in dreams that he claimed to be the “most creative state” we as human beings take part in. Based on my own series of dreams, my own personal theory is very similar to that of Sigmund Freud; conversely, I believe dreams strive to do what we as human beings struggle to do, which is make up our minds. Dreams serve as little flares that clarify our conflicts; likewise to Sigmund Freud our dreams do include our unconscious desires, but these are only present to show us as human beings that the answers to our conflicts are already present; present in the back of our minds, secluded from everything else.
Since the beginning of time, dreams have been a source of mysterious wonder amongst people. Everyone dreams, and those who claim they do not, do dream, however, they are unable to recall their dreams. Prior to psychological research, dreams were interpreted and explained as an unconscious desire, predictions, or subliminal messages. These outdated beliefs existed throughout time until new psychological research came into being. The new psychological research by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung gave rise to new dream theories that helped gain a greater understanding on dream interpretations.
Some desire, while others remember. History, sleep cycle, and nightmares all come together to make the mystical vision called dreams. Did you ever wonder why we dream? Why do we always have that one same dream? A lot of people questioned how dreams relate to their conscious life. Dream interpretation dates back to over one hundred years ago. Some try to remember their dreams, while others may experience de ja vu. A few reasons why people do not recall their dreams, is due to lack of sleep or not getting enough nutrients. In order to get to that point, one must become acquainted with the 4 stages of sleep cycle ending with the REM cycle, which is when you undergo the actual dream process. Dreams can be quite scary at times, leaving you in a panic, shock, and refusing to go back to sleep. Dreams are important to Psychology because it identify psychological functions. Although everyone has dreams,