Psychology of Dreams or The Interpretation of Dreams - Term Paper Example

Psychology of Dreams Dreams Defined What are dreams? Dreams are sequences of involuntary mental images, thoughts, and feelings that occur during sleep. According to Sigmund Freud and the Dynamic Theory of Dream-Formation, dreams are formed in the brain by an unconscious impulse, something that has been repressed during the day and makes itself known as a latent thought while the brain is at rest. “Every dream is on the one hand the fulfillment of a wish on the part of the unconscious and on the other hand the fulfillment of the normal wish to sleep which set the sleep going (Freud, 2003).” REM sleep Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the normal stage of sleep that is characterized by the rapid movements of the eyes. There are two categories involved in the REM cycle: tonic and phasic. Other characteristics of the REM cycle include low muscle tone and a rapid, low voltage electroencephalography (EEG). There are no dominating brain waves while the REM cycle is in process. In a normal, typical night, people experience four to five instances of REM sleep, lasting a total of an hour and a half to two hours. It is common when a person wakes up after a REM cycle. The majority of the dreams that people are able to recall take place during the rapid eye movement cycle. This may have to do with the fact that most people wake up after a REM cycle takes place, which would be after having a dream. Types of Dreams Lucid dreams Lucid dreams, also known as conscious dreams, are dreams that a person is aware that they are having while they are having it. This awareness takes place while a dream is in progress. During lucid dreaming, the person is able to have control over their characters and the environment, which includes making their characters do extraordinary things, or making them inhabit places that are otherwise impossible to inhabit in real life. Despite the surreal nature of a lucid dream, they are very vivid and realistic to the dreamer. There are two different ways that a lucid dream can occur. The first way is known as a dream-initiated lucid dream, when the dream starts off normally, but then the dreamer comes to the conclusion that what is taking place is a dream. A wake-initiated lucid dream is when the dreamer goes straight into a dream state while still awake - there is no lapse in consciousness. Post-traumatic dreams Post-traumatic dreams are often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and come along after a traumatic event has taken place in a person’s life. Many of these dreams recall the event that happened, often with different, uneventful outcomes, which often have to deal with the guilt that a person feels, depending on what their situation had been. These dreams come out of the stress and emotional trauma that a person was put through. Like lucid dreams, post-traumatic dreams seem extremely vivid and real to the dreamer. Unfortunately, the dreamers are unable to change the events that take place. As post-traumatic stress disorder is handled psychologically, so are post-traumatic dreams. One of the few ways that a person can rid themselves of these horrific dreams is to come to terms with what took place. Other types of dreams Prophetic or psychic: Dreams that are considered prophetic or psychic are dreams that come true. These dreams often seem realistic and vivid to the dreamer, though they normally do not think anything about it, especially as these dreams can just be confused with lucid dreaming. Many people, who have experienced these kinds of dreams, have said that minor details are more vivid than in any other form of dream. Reoccurring: Reoccurring dreams often take place when a person has a constant conflict going on in their life. If someone spends so much time thinking on this conflict, yet is unable to conclude and come to terms with the conflict, the unconscious mind takes over. These dreams can also be associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic dreams. Freud and the Interpretation of Dreams Psychologist Sigmund Freud was one of the greatest influences on modern-day psychology, as well as during his own time. Some of his biggest attributes to psychology were the theories that he had regarding the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression. Many of these theories also went hand-in-hand with dreams, the meanings of dreams, and the sexual lust for life that Freud believed inhabited all humans. Meaning of dreams One of the greater aspects of dreams that Freud played a part in was interpreting and in finding the solid meanings found within the dreams. Freud used symbolism to find the deeper meanings of dreams, as well as the happenings of the day prior to those dreams. He believed that the dreams arose from the things that took place during the day, especially if they had some significance to the person or if it proved a conflict for them. Freud concluded that many dreams do not need interpreting, that they are quite blunt about the messages that they are trying to send. While that may be the case for some dreams, there are many that needed a thorough analysis to discover that in-depth meaning. Freud said that the best approach to interpreting and understanding dreams is by looking at each separate element and then combining the outcomes. It is a process that needs to be done piece by piece in order to arrive at the bigger picture. Freud helped design some of the basic symbolic aspects of dream interpretation. He reached the decisions regarding those symbols based on the people that he researched, studied, and interviewed, looking at things such as what was happening in their lives and if they had concerns and conflicts that were crowding their minds. The symbols that he came up with were not just simple objects, but situations and arrangements that would come from just one small portion of the dream. Function of dreams While there are numerous hypotheses concerning the function of dreams, it was Freud who suggested that nightmares allow the brain to begin controlling the emotions that accompany stressful experiences. The same could be said about dreams, that they are subconscious views of a person’s personal life and how the different scenarios could be played out. It could also be seen as a chance to view how things in the future can be played out; dreams give people options to improve themselves. Freud also said stated that “dreams let the mind express things that would normally be suppressed in the waking world, thus keeping itself in harmony.” Dreams can also shed light onto moments of confusion in a person’s life. If they are not sure what is bothering them, perhaps a dream can provide insight into possibilities. They can also help people decide on what it is that they should do about those conflicts and concerns. Sex and Dreams Why the dream disguises the desires Sigmund Freud believed that all dreams had some connection to sexual repression and that it was the majority of dream content for both men and women. Even if what was being displayed in the dream was hardly considered sexual, Freud believed that sexual meaning could still be found. Once again, all of this goes back to the symbolic nature of dreams. Sexual repression is something that is not always obvious or understood, so it comes in the form of dreams – the mind speaking unconsciously of something that it feels it wants or needs. Most of the sexual symbols had to do with representations of the male and female genitalia. Boxes, bowls, rooms, tunnels, and the like were said to represent females, while sticks, knives, pencils, and such were said to represent the males. While it is common for men and women to have sexual dreams, it was also a common cause in children, who go through their own stages of sexual confusion and unconscious sexual curiosity. This is also related to the Electra and Oedipus complexes, which are the stages in a child’s life when they want to be the only ones receiving attention from their opposite-sex parent, and therefore expose themselves to those first moments of sexual confusion. The wish in dreams As with mundane dreams, dreams of a sexual nature are just messages that are hidden within the subconscious. As is also the same case with mundane dreams – thoughts that are being carried through the day and well into the night, once the person has gone to sleep – many things are fulfilled within the dream. This being the case, it can be said that dreams are wishes that are made unconsciously. The idea may have arisen during the day, was shunted aside, and appeared again at night, or it could have immediately been shunted aside because it was not appropriate, or it was something that needed not to be on their mind at that time. Freud believed that many dreams were of wish fulfillments. Many conflicts are poked and prodded at in dreams, oftentimes concluding that the person could apply in real life. This would hold true for sexual dreams and unconscious wishes. It is by the person’s wish that whatever the conflict is is solved. Conclusion Personal experience with dreams Being human, I have had dreams of varying sorts. I have had reoccurring dreams concerning emotional problems that I was having during the time. I have experienced numerous lucid dreams, most of which I knew that I was dreaming but was unable to wake myself. One of these instances involved me being chased by someone. I was aware that I was dreaming, but I could not pull myself from that dream. There have been quite a few cases when I would wake up and I would be convinced that the dream I had was real. I have also had experiences with the REM cycle. I would wake up and realize that I could move, as my muscles were paralyzed from the REM sleep. During one of these moments, I saw and I felt that I was being abducted by aliens. As with others before me, I have been able to pull apart my dreams and have looked at the different symbols found within them. With the information that I had gathered, I have been able to interpret the majority of my dreams. I have also learned through this that someone can learn a lot about himself or herself by looking thoroughly at their dreams. Experiences and predictions of others with dreams During an interview with a friend of mine, I questioned her about some of the dreams that she has had. She brought up a specific dream that could be considered a prophetic or psychic dream. She told me that in this dream, she had gotten into a car accident with a white vehicle. She then went on to tell me that, sure enough, she got into a car accident with a white vehicle that following day. A few others that I talked to mentioned having dreams where they saw something that took place in the future. At times, they were minor instances, and yet, like the aforementioned person, many were big events. In some cases, a few of these people were able to avoid what was to happen, as they had literally seen it coming. Modern view of dreams Very little regarding dreams have changed over the years. They are still seen as messages from the subconscious and the desires of our souls that we must decipher to remain happy and balanced; to be sure of ourselves and what we are trying to make sense of. They are still considered when psychology is involved, and they still play a large part in making sense of what is going on in our lives. However, due to the research of modern psychologists, the theory that most dreams have some sort of sexual content in them has been dispelled. While there are dreams that do show signs of sexuality, it cannot be said for all of them. Just as everyone is different, so are his or her dreams and the interpretations of these dreams. References Brians, Paul. “Sigmund Freud: The Interpretation of Dreams.” 1998. Online. Available http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/freud.html. Retrieved April 7, 2008. “Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners.” The Wish in Dreams. 2006. Online. Available www.enotalone.com/article/12114.html. Retrieved April 9, 2008. Freud, Sigmund. Beginner’s Guide to Dream Analysis. Standard Publications, Inc., 2003. Freud, Sigmund. Interpretation of Dreams. HarperCollins Publishers, 1980. Read More