Dreams

The world le unconscious

Two opposing theories on what it means to dream

Kindell Readus kinreadu@hsestudents.org

Dreams at their core are simple mental pictures working to create something, anything. ey do not have to be full stories with linear plot points or a climax. ey do not even have to be coherent, all they are is the musings of an unconscious mind. But there has to be more to them than just conjured-up images; they have to mean something, to be important but what? Rivaling theorists Sigmund Rivaling theorists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung each had Freud and Carl Jung each had their own conclusion as to their own conclusion as to what that answer might be. what that answer might be. Freud held a dark view on Freud held a dark view on what it meant to dream, what it meant to dream, stating that they were stating that they were meant to be a closely meant to be a closely held secret, cryptic motifs painted by the desires meant to be kept hidden from the waking world. Dreams to him were nothing but the awakening of long-repressed animalistic, instinctual, animalistic, instinctual, hypersexual and o en hypersexual and o en oedipal impulses. Freud is best known Freud is best known for his outlandish and odd for his outlandish and odd studies, experiments and studies, experiments and explanations. His take on these nighttime illusions is no exception, holding little regard for humanity and struggling to allow for fact as it relates to a client as opposed to the anecdotes his theory relies on. His theory makes people out to be falsehearted. e idea that the unconscious mind runs deep within the mammal brain (a part of the human brain that only holds the capacity to do basic functions such as eating and one’s ght or ight response) is a discredit to just how complicated the human mind is. A mind that creates images so real and believable that many o en have a hard time separating the tangible world from the ctional; should not be reduced so far back in the evolutionary process.

Opposing Freud there was Jung. He suggested that dreams are a way to connect with our psyche and to have it guide us through our real-world problems or dilemmas. Jung believed that dreams work as a “dialogue between ego and the self.” In this case, ego refers to the re ective process overarching one’s conscious being, while self refers to the process of completely encompassing the person’s physical, biological, psychological, social and cultural essence. e theory is that these two ideas, self and ego, hold a constant conversation concerning what is and is not known versus what should be, something that is done by mixing recent memories, present problems and future solutions. Jung’s best known work was developing the concepts of the developing the concepts of the extroverted and the extroverted and the introverted personality, introverted personality, archetypes and the archetypes and the collective unconscious collective unconscious rmly placing dreams rmly placing dreams well within his well within his wheelhouse. is wheelhouse. is theory provides an theory provides an idea that holds the idea that holds the mind to a more mind to a more intellectual and intellectual and analytical standard. analytical standard. In Jung’s studies, In Jung’s studies, he recognizes the he recognizes the patient’s background patient’s background and life experience and life experience while balancing this while balancing this with the experiences with the experiences described in their dreams, described in their dreams, something that Freud was something that Freud was never completely successful in. never completely successful in. e concept of a conversation e concept of a conversation between ego and self adds a sense of personalization while also working to explain the concept pictured in a way that is complementary to the patient’s real-life disposition instead of forcing a pessimistic and dark view of who they are, of who people as a species are. He holds people to a standard worthy of the mind’s true abilities.