ANALYSIS ESSAY

Analysis Essay: Dreams

Zoe Martindale

Department of Writing, Appalachian State University

RC 2001: Second Year Writing

Professor Clarice Brown

March 29, 2022

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Dreams

People spend an average of one third of their lives asleep, one quarter of which is

occupied by dreams (Leonard, 2018.) While most people use roughly 8 years of an average 75

year time span in dream-land, many therapists feel ill-equipped to approach discussing dream

content with clients, suggesting a lack of applied research in the field (Leonard, 2018). Theories

surrounding the meanings of dreams have existed for thousands of years and many early theories

were centered around a prophetic idea of dreaming, believing that dreams could predict the

future or carried spiritual importance (Krékits, 2018). While ideas like this can still be seen

sparsely today, Freudian and Jungian theory paved the way for a deeper interpretation of the

meaning of dreams, current technology and studies allowing a more extensive understanding of

the neurology that ties into dreaming (Krekits, 2018).There are many lenses that have to be

looked through in the interpretation of dreams, including but not limited to; a psychological

perspective, social perspective, philosophical, as well as neurological- all providing different

insights into the phenomenon (Krekits, 2018). Taking all perspectives into account, a broader

understanding of the topic of dreams can be established than could be found when examining

each perspective individually.

Dreams are a compilation of things we see everyday, so the imagery is a fabrication and a

hallucination by our brains-dreams taking on the role of processing all of the information people

take in each day or over a lifetime. (Malinowski, 2020). This view on dreaming suggests a

connection between people’s internal thought processes and their dreaming patterns. The way in

which people process, approach, or feel during their dreams can be very indicative of mental

state to a psychotherapist, therapist, or neurologist (Leonard, 2018). Sleep paralysis and lucid

dreaming are both considered “dream genres” or different types of dreaming, some genres
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affecting some more than others (Conesa-Savilla, 2018.) , displaying further the connection

between neurological processing and dream content. Many of the current studies on dreaming

have been influenced heavily by individuals who experience dream genres such as lucid

dreaming or sleep paralysis as they are on completely different sides of the spectrum (Conesa-

Savilla, 2018.) According to studies analyzed by scholar Leonard (2018), individuals with sleep

disorders are frequently subjects for sleep studies because of their unique or amplified

experiences. Because individuals who experience dream genres typically seek psychological

assistance based on sleep-related needs, other’s dreams are often overlooked during therapy

(Leonard, 2018.) While sleep-related therapy may be more relevant to those experiencing dream

genres, studies have still proven that utilizing dream content in therapy is still useful in treating

disorders. In Freud’s perspective, everyone is plagued by “madness-” the seep of the

unconscious thoughts into conscious thought allows for dreams to affect us when we’re not

asleep (Krékits, 2018).

The state of dreaming is often referred to as a state of “madness,” the connotation in this

sense meaning a state of discontinuity from a conscious state (Conesa-Savilla, 2018.) Viewing it

as this allows for further analysis upon the delusionary state in a philosophical lens as well as a

psychological or neurological lens. To view dreams as a state of unconscious madness raises the

question of what truly defines a “conscious” state of being. Philosophers such as Sigmund Freud

and Jaques Lacan explored this idea, asserting that “madness” is a state of being that plages

humans in and out of states of consciousness (Conesa-Savilla, 2018.) In relation to the

interpretation of dreams, this idea displays a stark contrast from the idea of prophetic dreaming.

Analyzing dreams and certain states of consciousness as a condition of “madness” doesn’t allow

for symbolic, collective dream meanings as each dreamer has a set of individual experiences that
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shape their dream landscapes and themes (Conesa-Savilla, 2018.) While this idea does hinder the

collective symbolic meanings of dreams, it allows for a perspective of interpretation specific to

the individual.

While Philosophers, Psychologists, Neurologists, and Sociologists all may have different

or conflicting views of dream analysis, it is not until they combine their perspectives that they

will have a comprehensive understanding of dream analysis (Krekits, 2018). Dreams can hardly

be analyzed by one perspective alone, it requires a combination of understanding from each

perspective to even begin to graze the surface of understanding.

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References

Leonard, L., & Dawson, D. (2018). The marginalisation of dreams in clinical psychological

practice. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 42, 10–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2018.04.002

Malinowski, J. E., & Horton, C. L. (2020, December 25). Dreams reflect nocturnal

cognitive processes. Consciousness and Cognition. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from

https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1053810020305389?

token=B8B669EDEBE9F5477C23A4B0BDAB0FA52F0FB023D88171DF539EF4483F6

DD1C1D2A6C25327EAADDA01C51C5ABA44C8BF&originRegion=us-east-

1&originCreation=20220426084902

Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (2018). Dreams and Dreaming. Psychology Research

Progress. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://eds-p-ebscohost-

com.proxy006.nclive.org/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE2NzAwMTRfX0FO0?

sid=9877405b-f190-49ce-bfbb-d027618a8c48%40redis&vid=4&format=EB&rid=3