Think you know what dreams are about? WRONG! Think again!

If you are someone who believes you don’t dream, keep reading. However, if you are someone who remembers their dreams but doesn’t want to know what they mean, stop reading right now! In this article, I will very simply explain Freud’s theory of dream interpretation (1900), the importance of dreams for the brain (or why we dream), and provide you with a basic guide to decoding the images you see while sleeping.

During dreaming, our brain processes repressed conflicts, thoughts, experiences, and desires stored in our subconscious — those we are unaware of but are nonetheless there (Freud, 1900). Dreams serve as a safe space where the brain can process these in a secure manner. They help the brain and our conscious self come to terms with what troubles our unconscious self, including desires (Hobson, 1994).

In an introductory psychology class, our professor explained a magical formula to understand the basic differences between the subconscious, the preconscious, and the conscious. It is appropriate to clarify this before moving forward…

1. Subconscious (Id): Immediate gratification of needs. The subconscious wants to fulfill its need immediately. This desire must be satisfied without delay, and it doesn’t care how — it simply wants it NOW! (I intentionally emphasize “now” and “immediately”).
2. Preconscious (Ego): Functions as a censor and mediator. It processes the information and adjusts it slightly, considering the current circumstances.
3. Conscious (Superego): Our conscious self, where we act, think, and exist. The conscious receives information from the preconscious, which has already been somewhat altered.

Example: The subconscious wants sex and must have it (the subconscious gives the command and ends there). However, we are in a lecture hall with 120 other students… Hm…. This would likely be inappropriate — it wouldn’t be received positively. Soooo… The preconscious processes the command but postpones it for a more appropriate time, saying: “Let’s wait until we get home; that would be better.” The conscious then receives the information as: “Only 20 minutes left, I’ll call a taxi and text my partner to say I miss and love her/him.”

Now that we’ve clarified the fundamental communication between the tripartite self, we can proceed further…

The Work of Dreams

Freud regarded dreams as the “crème de la crème” — a literal gateway to the subconscious, a means of understanding our repressed desires, fears, or conflicts, and a safe space for trying out reactions to various situations(Freud, 1900). Dreams allow us to experience these scenarios in a secure environment that doesn’t harm us yet feels very “real” to our mind. Often, we are unaware that we are experiencing something troubling, bothersome, or limiting us.

Freud called the process of transforming latent thoughts (described above) into dream content “Traumarbeit,” or “dream work.” This work turns latent thoughts and ideas from the subconscious into a more tangible, personalized content that we remember upon waking (Freud, 1900).

Freud’s “dream work” involves four stages that transform latent thoughts into dream content:

1. Condensation: Multiple thoughts merge into a single image. For example, if your partner irritates you, you are afraid of spiders, and you feel stagnant in life, condensation might create a dream scenario where all these emotions combine into one “movie” scene.
2. Displacement: Emotions shift from important elements to less significant ones, masking the true meaning of the dreamand making it less obvious to us.
3. Symbolization: Our desires and emotions are expressed symbolically in dreams. For example, a mountain might represent a desire for success or serve as a phallic symbol.
4. Secondary Revision: The final stage organizes various images into a coherent narrative. Dreams often resemble sequences of events or a “whole movie” that we remember upon waking (Freud, 1900).

Example of Dream Interpretation: If you dream of climbing a high mountain, Freud might interpret it as a sexual desire (mountain as a phallic symbol) or a desire to overcome obstacles on your path to success. Dreams often carry multiple layers of meaning, and their interpretation depends on the specific context.

REM Phase and Dreams

The REM phase (Rapid Eye Movement) is associated with most dream content. A typical sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes, during which the REM phase recurs several times and lengthens as the sleep progresses (Solms, 2000). If a person wakes up during the REM phase, they are more likely to remember their dream(Schredl, 2007).

Practical Tip: Use sleep trackers that can identify REM phases. If you wake up outside of this phase, you are less likely to remember your dreams. Factors such as stress, sleep quality, medication, or neurological issues can also affect your ability to recall dreams (Walker, 2017).

The “Decoder” and the “Two layers of dreams”:

• Manifest Content: The surface reality of the dream — what we remember (e.g., eating a giant cake while an elephant flies beside us).
• Latent Content: The hidden messages requiring interpretation. In the example, the cake might represent repressed cravings for sweet things or pleasure, and the flying elephant might symbolize a desire for freedom (Freud, 1900).

Freud used free association to interpret dreams. For instance, if you dream of red doors, he would likely ask you to say everything that comes to mind when seeing this image. Associations can reveal the latent content of dreams, which is unique to each individual.

Symbols in Dreams

• Red: Passion or love.
• Chair: Need for stability.
• Doors: Closed opportunities, new possibilities, or secrets.
• Mountain or Pyramid: Phallic symbol.
• Cave or Hollow Objects: Female genitalia.
• Snake: Fear or sexual desire.
• Water: Symbol of the mother, safety, or emotions.

Dream interpretation is highly subjective and always depends on personal experience and current life circumstances (Hobson, 1994).

Freud’s theory of dreams offers insight into the subconscious, but it’s important to note that dreams are highly subjective. Dream interpretation is not an exact science but rather an art of self-understanding. Nonetheless, dreams are a valuable tool for processing emotions and desires we might not otherwise recognize.