How can Dream Analysis Shape Your Reality?

Humans LOVE to dream. We all dream about something or the other every single night we sleep. But how many of us knew that our dreams could help us infer a lot of details about the things repressed in our unconscious? Dreams are a natural element of healthy sleep, with the average person dreaming for roughly two hours every night. Even though humans spend so much time dreaming, academics still don’t fully comprehend the phenomenon. It’s still uncertain whether particular dreams have a deeper meaning.

Dreams can tell a rich story that seems intensely personal. Many people are eager to discuss the details of their dreams and attempt to comprehend their underlying meaning. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, believed and propagated the idea that dreams are the royal road that could take one to an individual’s unconscious realms of their personality. Thus, he pioneered the most famous psychoanalytic technique named “dream analysis.”

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American Psychological Association defines dream analysis as a technique utilized primarily by the psychoanalysts and nowadays by other psychotherapists, through which contents of dreams are used to infer underlying or repressed motivations, desires etc. Freud was the first psychologist who suggested and further utilized the method of dream analysis to comprehend the unconscious desires and motivations of an individual which would lead to better comprehension of the individual.

Freud, the most quoted psychologist of the twentieth century, wrote The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900. This book was a major milestone in the field of dream interpretation. According to Freud, dreams are a type of wish fulfilment and contain the secret to a person’s wishes. He stated that the theme of a person’s dreams is derived from reality, but dreams are not the same as waking life and cannot be taken at face value. Carl Jung, who was a renowned neo-psychoanalyst also propagated the usage of this particular psychoanalytic technique in the comprehension of individuals.

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However, through his works and theories, his usage of dream interpretation took a different turn. Jung felt that humans have many types of dreams, which can be examined through the perspective of “compensation.” According to his compensation theory, dreams are a process that allows the unconscious mind to fully develop or balance opposing components. Another technique used in Jungian analysis is amplification. Amplification is predicated on the notion that humanity has a collective unconscious or a set of inherited common experiences. This technique investigates associations that have been unanimously agreed upon.

For example, if the individual in treatment has a dream about a dog, the therapist will promote the examination and inquiry of commonly held beliefs about dogs. Amplification goes beyond simply using the person’s connections; it investigates the communal understanding of the symbol to assist the individual in finding significance in their dream.

Gestalt therapy approaches dreamwork differently than psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis. Gestalt therapists view dreams as existential messages we convey to ourselves. These signals are carefully investigated to bring dream content into a person’s everyday life. Gestalt therapy employs rework in a manner distinct from psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis. Gestalt therapists view dreams as existential messages we convey to ourselves. These signals are carefully investigated to bring dream content into a person’s everyday life.

Positive Effects of Dream Analysis

• Better self-awareness- It allows people to better understand themselves and involves comprehending the hidden meanings underlying the images they experience in their dreams. This further aids them in obtaining insights into the subconscious mind.
• During therapy- Dream analysis is completely useful in therapeutic processes and can be utilized to resolve the client’s issues. This can be used to comprehend the underlying desires and motivations of the individuals which would further aid in their therapy processes.
• Resolving Dreams- Dream analysis can also aid people in overcoming multiple challenges in one’s life. Comprehending the meanings of different themes of one’s dreams is one way in which dreams could turn out to be beneficial in resolving the problems one may be facing in one’s life.
• Decision making- Dreams can aid people in making decisions in their lives as they may provide some amount of instinctive hints about their reality. Dreams can sometimes act as a useful source of intuitive knowledge in making decisions.

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Negative effects of Dream Analysis

• Difficulty in interpretation- It could render the process of interpretation quite a daunting task as these results are not universal and these
  interpretations could change from one scenario to another. There are high chance that people may wrongly assume the meanings of their dreams leading them to incorrect conclusions.
• Overwhelming for some- Dream analysis can be intimidating for some people as it may require them to look at their dreams and possibly think and try to comprehend them through a new lens or perspective. This can result the individuals in suffering from resultant anxiety and stress.
• Recording Dreams- Dream journalling involves noting down the remembered parts of one’s dreams as a written record. It can be considered a contemporary way of recording one’s dreams. This can aid the person in keeping track of the recurring instances and themes that pop up in their dreams. It can also aid them in deciphering symbols that come up in their dreams.

Finally, dream analysis and its practice or science is still something that psychologists are working on. Just like any other coin, dream analysis too has its benefits and its limitations. It can help people better understand themselves, resulting in personal progress and the resolution of challenges. However, these methods can be daunting for individuals to take part in and even the interpretations may not be universal, thus making psychologists not prioritize the method over some others.