If you have ever had a strange or interesting dream, there is a good chance that you have thought to yourself “what did that mean?”. Dream interpretation has been around since the origin of psychology and cannot be discussed without the inclusion of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freudian psychoanalysis and dream interpretation emphasized the unconscious mind, theorizing that dreams existed for two main reasons. According to Freud, “dreams as wish fulfilment” was the first function of dreams; they brought forth an unconscious desire to the dreams, often of a sexual nature. The second purpose of dreams was to act as “the guardians of sleep”, which essentially meant that a dream would allow the person to experience something they desired in a safe and acceptable manner. Freud later broke his dream interpretation theory down into more fragments, manifest meaning and latent meaning. Manifest meaning was how the dream actually presented itself to the dreamer, whereas latent meaning was the true, underlying meaning beneath the dream. Jung developed a framework to create balance between the unconscious and the conscious, the subjective and the objective. Later yet, the existential-phenomenological Alfred Adler began to decipher dreams in his own way. Soon the Gestalt movement of Fritz Perls added yet another layer to dream interpretation.
Dream interpretation is still widely used in the fields of psychology, counseling and social work today, but has undergone much scrutiny in the scientific realms. It seems as if no one person can set a clear and scientifically proven framework for analyzing and interpreting dreams. In order to interpret a dream, one must first remember the dream in question. Keeping a small journal or notebook next to the bed, and jotting down notes as you wake up can help people remember the details of their dreams. Writing down the emotions you felt during and after the dream can also provide interesting information about the dream itself. Try expressing your dream in a visual manner by painting or drawing what you can recall. If all else fails, talking to a friend or therapist about the dream may provide more insight into your psyche.
If you can’t figure it out on your own, there are professionals (like us) to help guide you. You are still strong and valuable if you ask for help.
References:
Breus, M. J. (n.d.). Dreaming. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dreaming
Pesant, N., & Zadra, A. (2004). Working with dreams in therapy: What do we know and what should we do? Clinical Psychology Review, 24(5),
489–512. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2004.05.002
Stukenberg, K. (2018, July 17). 7 Reasons You Should Be Interpreting Your Dreams. Retrieved from