A. Perez & A.

Cmpanu English for Psychology Students

1

UNIT 6 Psychoanalytic Theory of Dreams

"Dreams are the touchstones of our characters." - Henry David Thoreau
Discussion
1. Can you explain the quote with your own words?
2. What do you know about Henry David Thoreau?

Reading
Answer these questions before reading the text:
1. Why do we dream?
2. Is there a connection between dreams and psychology?

DREAM LAND
Dreams have fascinated philosophers for
thousands of years, but only recently have dreams
been subjected to empirical research and
concentrated scientific study.
A dream can include any of the images,
thoughts and emotions that are experienced during
sleep. Dreams can be extraordinarily vivid or very
vague; filled with joyful emotions or frightening
imagery; focused and understandable or unclear
and confusing.
Chances are that youve often found yourself
puzzling over the mysterious content of a dream,
or perhaps youve wondered why you dream at all.
What purpose do dreams serve? While many
theories have been proposed, no single consensus
has emerged. Considering the enormous amount
of time we spend in a dreaming state, the fact that
researchers do not yet understand the purpose of
dreams may seem baffling. However, it is
important to consider that science is still
unraveling the exact purpose and function of sleep
itself.
Some researchers suggest that dreams serve no
real purpose, while others believe that dreaming is
essential to mental, emotional and physical well-
being. Ernest Hoffman, director of the Sleep
Disorders Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital in
Boston, Mass., suggests that "...a possible (though
certainly not proven) function of a dream to be
weaving new material into the memory system in
a way that both reduces emotional arousal and is
adaptive in helping us cope with further trauma or
stressful events."
Consistent with the psychoanalytic perspective,
Sigmund Freuds theory of dreams suggested that
dreams were a representation of unconscious
desires, thoughts and motivations. According to
Freuds psychoanalytic view of personality,
people are driven by aggressive and sexual
instincts that are repressed from conscious
awareness. While these thoughts are not
consciously expressed, Freud suggested that they
find their way into our awareness via dreams.
He also described two different components of
dreams: manifest content and latent content.
Manifest content is made up of the actual images,
thoughts and content contained within the dream,
while the latent content represents the hidden
psychological meaning of the dream.
(adapted from
http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconscious
ness/p/dream-theories.htm)

Vocabulary

1. Circle the meaning (that fits best the context) of the following words from the text:
puzzle over 1. cerebrate ( = to use the power of reason; think.);
2. cogitate ( = To take careful thought or think carefully about; ponder);
3. try to solve;
A. Perez & A. Cmpanu English for Psychology Students

2

consensus 1. an opinion or position reached by a group as a whole;
2. general agreement or accord;
3. collective judgment or belief; solidarity of opinion;
baffling 1. impossible to understand;
2. perplexing;
3. bewildering;
unravel - 1. to separate or disentangle the threads of (a fabric, rope, etc.);
2. to free from complications; make plain or clear; solve;
3. to take apart; undo; destroy (a plan, agreement, or
arrangement);

Language

Choose the correct phrase underlined in each sentence and explain your choice:
a) What time are they starting / do they start their programme?
b) We usually have / are having lunch in the kitchen.
c) The sun sets / is setting in the west.
d) Listen! The bell is ringing / rings.
e) The teacher is explaining / explains the new words right now.
Discussion

Dream Interpretation

Its snowing heavily, and everyone in the backyard is in a swimsuit, at some kind of party: Mom, Dad, the
high school principal, theres even an ex-girlfriend. And is that Elvis, over by the piata?
Dreams are so rich and have such an authentic feeling that scientists have long assumed they must have a
crucial psychological purpose. To Freud, dreaming provided a playground for the unconscious mind; to
Jung, it was a stage where the psyches archetypes acted out primal themes. Newer theories hold that dreams
help the brain to consolidate emotional memories or to work though current problems, like divorce and work
frustrations.

1. Interpret the dream!
2. What is the strangest dream you have ever had?
3. Can you think of an interpretation of the respective dream?