Freud's Dream Analysis. a Case Study

Freud believed that dreams are the “royal road to the unconscious”, for it is within an individual’s dream state that their unconscious wishes, needs, and fears are expressed (Corey, 2005, p. 76). Dedicating his work to creating a procedure which could assist with the emergence of unconscious thoughts into the conscious mind, Freud developed psychoanalytical therapy: a therapy aimed at increasing awareness, encouraging insight into the client’s behaviour, and understanding the significance of symbols (Corey, 2005). Using Freud’s psychoanalytic theory on dream analysis, this reflective essay endeavours to analyse a personal dream. The purpose of this analysis is to offer an interpretation in to any emotional issues that I may be currently experiencing. In order to do this, Freud’s techniques of dream analysis, free association and interpretation will be discussed and applied (Rathus, 2004). Furthermore, due to Freud’s belief that dreams are mainly linked to childhood experiences, an overview of his theory on psychosexual development will be provided, with special focus on the phallic stage (Plotnik, 2002). Freud hypothesised that the human mind is divided into three main parts: the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious (Strickland, 2001). According to Krapp (2005), the conscious part of the mind contains thoughts and feelings of which one is aware, and plays a crucial role in the development of adaptive functioning. The preconscious functions as a transitional part of the mind between the conscious and the unconscious (Strickland, 2001). It contains content of which an individual is aware of, but not necessarily paying attention to at that precise moment (Straker, 2007). The unconscious mind is described by Sharf (2004), as a container which houses memories, thoughts and emotions that have been pushed away (repressed) by the preconscious mind, due to being too distressful for the conscious (for example, childhood trauma or abuse).