The wish-dream of Freud's type has presented itself for consideration
here, because it is a special and elaborate illustration of symbolism
in dreaming. The important place of symbols in dreaming is by no means
dependent on the validity of this particular type of dream, and we may now
proceed to continue the discussion of the significance of the symbolic
tendency during sleep in its most important form.
The symbols we have so far been mainly concerned with have been the
result of a tendency of dreaming consciousness to objectify feelings and
affections within the organism in concrete objects or processes outside
the organism. In its complete form this symbolic tendency becomes the
objectivation of part of the dreamer's feelings or personality in a
distinct imaginary personality. A process of dramatisation occurs, and
the dreamer finds himself in action and reaction, friendly or hostile or
indifferent, with seemingly external personalities which, by the light
of the analysis possible on awakening, are demonstrably created out of
split-off portions of his own personality.[163] A common and simple form
of such objectivation, closely allied to some of the symbolisms already
brought forward, occurs when the dreamer sees the image of a person
suffering from some affection of a part of the body and finds on awakening
that he is himself experiencing pain or discomfort in that part. Thus a
medical man dreams he is examining a tumour in a patient's groin, and on
awakening finds slight irritation in the same region of his own body. And
similarly, just as our bodily needs, when experienced during sleep, may
be symbolised by inanimate natural objects and processes, so they may
also become objective in the image of another person who is occupied in
gratifying the need which we are ourselves unconsciously experiencing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account