Dream Analysis

Dreams are a physiological cycle in which unconscious desires and impulses are discharged. Research has shown that individuals whose REM sleep (the phase in which dreams occur) is disrupted experience a doubling of their REM periods the following night. If REM periods are suppressed for an extended duration, individuals may begin to experience dreams and hallucinations while awake. This highlights how essential dreams are for mental and physiological well-being.

Dreams are interpreted differently according to various psychological schools of thought. However, the school most deeply concerned with the psychiatric aspects of dreams is psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, famously described dreams as "the royal road to the unconscious."

From a psychodynamic perspective, dreams serve as a means for unconscious drives to discharge through symbolic representation. Drives deemed unacceptable are repressed into the unconscious. These repressed drives exert pressure to be expressed, leading to tension in the individual. Dreams provide a mechanism for relieving this tension by allowing the discharge of repressed drives. However, the explicit expression of these drives, even in dreams, poses a danger because bringing unconscious content to conscious awareness is threatening. Thus, dreams are censored and expressed through symbols, which are decoded through dream analysis. This process becomes a tool for therapists to access the unconscious content of their clients.

Unacceptable or repressed drives, when censored, form the content of the dream. Since the recounted dream is a censored version, the focus of analysis shifts to the emotions elicited by the dream.

Censorship in dream scenarios can occur in various ways. For instance, deformation might be employed, altering the core essence of the dream. As an example, someone angry at their father might dream of arguing with someone else. Since anger toward the father is distressing, the father’s role in the dream is replaced by someone less significant to the individual.

Another form of censorship involves using a single figure to represent multiple scenarios, maximizing meaning with minimal content. This principle, known as the economy of the dream, allows, for example, multiple sources of anger to be discharged through a single figure in the dream. A figure in the dream might wear a watch belonging to the father, have hair resembling a sibling's, and wear a jacket like a boss's, thus representing anger toward all three individuals through a single figure.

At times, the intended message cannot be fully conveyed in a single dream due to its length. In such cases, the dream might unfold in a sequence, like a series, over successive nights. By following and piecing together these dreams, one can discern the entire narrative.

Some dreams prepare the individual for feared situations. For example, a person deeply anxious about the loss of loved ones may frequently have dreams about death, allowing them to emotionally prepare for potential loss.

Additionally, dreams may serve to temporarily satisfy desires that cannot be fulfilled in reality. For instance, a child who wants a computer but cannot get one due to financial constraints might dream of receiving a computer, gaining temporary relief and increasing their capacity to endure the delay until the computer is acquired in real life. Similarly, the lyric “If dreams came true, I’d see you every day” highlights how seeing a loved one in a dream can help one cope with longing.

Recurring dreams may change over time, reflecting the progress of psychotherapy. This makes dreams valuable for tracking therapeutic outcomes.

Dream analysis is significant in psychotherapy as it allows us to better understand and identify the client’s inner world. It also provides a tool for monitoring the progress of treatment.

Specialist Dr. Tuba ÖĞER
Psychiatrist