D REAM A NALYSIS (T HERAPY )

T ODAY ’ S L ESSON
 Understand how the psychodynamic approach explains dreams
 Understand the key features of dream analysis

S TARTER
 With the people around you discuss the two following questions.
 Why do we dream?
 Do dreams have a meaning?

W HAT IS P SYCHOANALYSIS
 A therapy developed by Freud
 Based on the idea that we are often unaware of the influence of the unconscious
 Catharsis
 Insight
 How do these two processes link back to the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

W HAT ARE D REAMS
 Have you ever had a really memorable dream?
Any interesting dreams recently?
 Dreams as wish fulfilment
 Missing words
 How does this explanation link back to the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?
(Freud, 1900)

M ANIFEST AND LATENT CONTENT
 Use the information at the bottom of page 34, and define the following terms
 Manifest content
 Latent content
 Think of some examples

D REAM ANALYSIS
 AIM



Not so much to interpret dreams, but to use dreams to uncover things in the unconscious
Insight
Catharsis
 The purpose of dream analysis in therapy therefore is to uncover the _______________ content of a dream by examining the ________________ content.

M AIN FEATURES
 A patient will talk to the therapist about the
_________________ content of their dream, and the therapist will help guide the patient to uncovering the
_________________ content.
 Done in the content of the person’s own life and experience
 IMPORTANTLY
 It is not the therapist who makes the final interpretation. The therapist will provide a few possible interpretations and the patient will pick the explanation which they feel is true.

D REAMWORK
 The latent content is turned into the manifest content through dreamwork
 Makes things symbolic
 Cut out and stick the information into the correct boxes below
 Read the case study. Have a go at interpreting Bob’s dream. Try to use the correct dreamwork terms

D REAMING
 How could Freudian theories explain nightmares?
 Not everything is symbolic in dreams…
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar!

F INDINGS FROM RESEARCH
 Solms (2000) found evidence for Freud’s theory of dreaming


PET scans show that when people are dreaming, their forebrain is active, but the parts of the brain involved in logic are dormant (quiet).
The id is active, the ego is dormant

E XAM F OCUS
 Explain how the psychodynamic approach has been applied to either dream analysis or free association.
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 Write an essay plan. Use the guidance sheet from systematic desensitisation, and the “How to Answer
Exam Questions” hand-out.