Dream Analysis (Therapy)

DREAM ANALYSIS (THERAPY)

TODAY’S LESSON Understand how the psychodynamic

approach explains dreams

Understand the key features of dream analysis

STARTER With the people around you discuss the

two following questions.

Why do we dream?

Do dreams have a meaning?

WHAT IS PSYCHOANALYSIS 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?

WHAT ARE DREAMS 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?Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious (Freud, 1900)

MANIFEST AND LATENT CONTENT Use the information at the bottom of

page 49, and define the following terms

Manifest content

Latent content

Think of some examples

DREAM 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.

MAIN 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.

DREAMWORK

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

DREAMING How could Freudian theories explain

nightmares?

Not everything is symbolic in dreams…

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar!

FINDINGS 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

EXAM FOCUS Explain how the psychodynamic approach

has been applied to either dream analysis or free association. (12)

Write an essay plan. Use the guidance sheet from systematic desensitisation, and the “How to Answer Exam Questions” hand-out.