Dream Interpretations:
Scenario:
I was jogging in the park. The sun was shining and I was very content. Suddenly
the sky turned dark and there was a large snake in my path. It hissed at me and
tried to bite me. I kept running, but I looked back and it was following me. It
seemed as though I was running in circles - - I could not get away from the snake.
I stopped and began defending myself against its blows. The snake split in half
and then seemed to die. What does my dream mean?
Background Information:
The background of the dreamer will be given to you once you are in your groups.
Freud’s Theory of Dreams centered on his contention that dreams represented our
desires that we couldn’t fulfill. He particularly concentrated on sexual and aggressive
desires. He believed that dreams contained a manifest content (the symbol’s surface
meaning) and a latent content (the symbol’s real, hidden meaning). Latent content
generally focused on sexuality, with elongated objects such as pens, trees, and knives
representing male sexual organs and enclosed objects such as rooms, cups, and baskets
representing female sexual organs.
The Extensions of Waking Life Theory suggests that symbols in dreams also have a
latent content, but these symbols should be interpreted in the context of what the person
is experiencing in his or her life, or what the person has experienced in the past,
particularly problems, tensions, and fears.
Dream Interpreter Handout
After reading the scenario, try your hand at interpreting dreams using Freud’s Theory of
Dreams and the Extensions of Waking Life Theory.
Below you will use the symbols in the dream to interpret its meaning with both Freud’s
Theory of Dreams and the Extensions of Waking Life Theory.
Using Freud’s Theory of Dreams, try to decide what the Latent Content of each of these
symbols is:
1. Hostile Snake
2. Running in Circles
3. Defending Against Blows
4. Snake splitting in half
Using these latent contents, try to come up with an interpretation of this dream – e.g.,
what is the person confronted with, what issue does the person need to deal with?
Using the Extension of Waking Life Theory, try to decide what the Latent Content of each
of these symbols is:
1. Hostile Snake
2. Running in Circles
3. Defending Against Blows
4. Snake splitting in half
Using these latent contents, try to come up with an interpretation of this dream – e.g.,
what is the person confronted with, what issue does the person need to deal with?