Freud, Psychoanalytic Theory, and Dreams

David Van Nuys, Ph.D. Sonoma State University

Relevance Today

Fashionable to attack Freud Outdated Unscientific Sexist Nevertheless, all major subsequent theories have been based on his revolutionary, pioneering work He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature for his seminal book, The Interpretation of Dreams which appeared in 1900. Looking back in 1930, he said of The Interpretation of Dreams, that it contained the most valuable of all the discoveries it has been my good fortune to make. Insight such as this falls to ones lot but once in a lifetime. I must affirm that dreams really have a meaning and that a scientific procedure for interpreting them is possible.

Freuds Life
Born 1865 in Freiberg, Moravia to Jacob, his woolmcerchant father. Mother was Jacobs third wife. In 1860, family moved to Vienna, where Freud grew up and lived until 1938. Vienna exciting place of opportunity and optimism. In 1867, Jews granted political rights and accepted into society. Freud assimilated, identifying as a German. Embraced humanistic values of political liberalism and affirmed universal goals of rationality and human freedom. About the time he was 15, liberal political atmosphere evaporated and anti-Semitism became virulent. Freuds hopes for assimilation shattered, replaced by disappointment & bitterness. Graduated from University of Vienna medical school with strong interest in research but quickly married and realized only private practice would provide needed financial support. Published well received scholarly papers on neurological disorders. Outbreak of WW II forced him to flee to London, where he died a year later in 1939.

Freuds theory is complex because:

He kept modifying it as he went along He never presented a comprehensive summary of his final views His theory is more comprehensive than must since it has a number of aspects. For example, he gives us: A theory of motivation A theory of thinking (which includes dreaming, etc.) A theory of personality development (psychosexual theory) A theory of mental structures (id, ego, superego) A theory of psychopathology and symptom formation A theory of psychotherapy

Two Fundamental Hypotheses

1. Principle of psychic determinism Nothing in nature happens by chance Nothing in the mind happens by chance 2. The unconscious Conscious rationality is the exception rather than the rule in psychic processes Evidence for this is inferred from: Psychopathology - symptom formation Parapraxes, i.e. slips of the tongue, of the pen, etc. Dreams Free association Hypnosis These two hypotheses interlock

The Drives
Link with biology Freud hoped to link up his thoeries with biological knowledge Were still not able to do that Freud used the term instincts in this regard but the term is misleading in English Drive = Tension or excitation looking for release, i.e. need --> motor activity --> gratification Psychic energy & cathexis Freud postulates a psychic energy analogous to physical energy Amount of psychic energy directed towards memories, thoughts, and fantasies of an object is called cathexis e.g. childs mother is an object highly cathected with psychic energy Two forms of drive energy (like ying/yang) Libido - sexual/erotic Thanatos - aggressive/destructive Freud assumes these are always fused but not necessarily in the same amounts Cruelty may have ucs. erotic component Acts of love may have ucs. aggressive 6 component

Psychosexual Development

Stages Oral stage - First 1 1/2 years Flow of libido presumed to be in the mouth, lips, tongue Anal stage - next 1 1/2 years Phallic stage - from 3 to 6 years Latency Mature adult genital stage Fixation & Regression Freuds analogy about the troops If a new pleasure proves unsatisfactory, the individual reverts to one that is tried and true e.g. small child reverting to thumb sucking upon birth of a sibling Autoeroticism When object not available, such as breast, fingers may substitute Frees child from domination of the environment but also may be precursor to withdrawal from reality Aggressive drive too may reveal itself in the libidinal zones

The Psychic Apparatus

Topographical system Conscious Preconscious Unconscious Structural theory Id Ego - mediates between id & environment tests for whats real Superego (develops around 5 or 6 years of age) Ego Functions Motor control Perception Memory Affects Thinking (delay of gratification) Ego develops in response to maturation and environment Importance of identification in ego development

Dream Formation

Dream springs from unacceptable, unconscious wishes Sexual Aggressive Egoistic Latent vs. Manifest content Censorship The Dream Work Condensation Displacement Representability Secondary revision

Function of The Dream

To protect sleep Wish fulfillment

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Primary and Secondary Process Thinking

Secondary process thinking Rational Moral (influenced by superego) Logical Cause & effect Temporal Abstract Ability to delay gratification Verbal

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Primary/Secondary Cont.
Primary Process Thinking (Baby Thinking) Tends toward immediate gratification Amoral Non-temporal Non-causal Concrete Visual Absence of negatives, conditionals, or other qualifiers Opposites and contradictions may coexist Representation by allusion, analogy, or object parts (pars pro toto) Displacement - substitution of one idea or image by another one which associatively connected with it Condensation - representation of several ideas or images by a single word or image Symbolic - meanings relatively constant from patient to patient Pair of sisters = breasts Journey or absence = death 12

My Position on Freud & Dreams

Agree Day residue Free association Primary process thinking Disagree Sex/aggression as sole drives Censorship Wish fulfillment I Favor Growth Model Expression of health (a la Taylor) Creativity Precognition Confirmation of growth Guidance and Advice Rehearsal for action Spiritual dimension

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Freud vs. Jung Dream Theories

Freud View of Unconscious Dangerous Personal unconscious Negative id drives of sex/aggression Function of dream Wish fulfillment Logic of dream Primary process & censorship Analytic tool Free association Jung View of Unconscious Potentially dangerous force of nature Personal & Collective unconscious Bright shadow Function of dream Compensation Logic of dream Language of metaphor Analytic tool Amplification

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