Freud III: The Dream-Work

How can an anxiety dream contain the fulfillment of a wish? What about a nightmare? Why are dreams so bizarre? Freud's answer: the Censor. This would be a psychical process that seeks to keep our most dangerous wishes hidden from the conscious self. Understanding the Dream-Work-- the processes through which a dream becomes distorted-- can help unravel the real meaning that the dream itself is designed to hide.

Podcast Lecture: The Somniloquy

Readings:

Bulkeley, An Introduction to the Psychology of Dreaming: Ch. 2

Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams: Ch. 3-4

Questions:

1. How do "dreams of convenience" fit in with Freud's theory that all dreams contain the fulfillment of a wish?

2. What are the dreams of children like, according to Freud?

3. How does Freud support his claim that even anxiety dreams contain the fulfillment of a wish?

4. What are "manifest and latent content?"

5. How does Freud use the metaphor of the Censor to explain dream distortion?

Activities:

The Oprah Dream: Read Bulkeley's chapter on Freud and note his clear explanations of the mechanisms of the Dream-Work: condensation, displacement, considerations of representability, and secondary revision. Then read this sample Freudian dream analysis and see if you can locate examples of the 4 Dream-Work mechanisms.