Introduction
Dreams can be for living and for dying. Dreams are the means by which the unconscious mind can tap into the conscious mind and effect one’s perception of reality. It could be said, dreams create reality as dreams can change one’s perception. Dreams are a means by which one can cope with the challenges of life. As one enters old age, dreams act as a defense against the withering of the body and decline in one’s ability.
The concepts of the interworking of the mind are intriguing, complicated and confusing. As one dives into the unconscious a desire for pleasure becomes stronger and stronger as one descends deeper and deeper. With protection mechanisms in place holding the unconscious at bay, the unconscious uses dreams to escape its prison (Feist, Feist, & Winkler-Herman, 2013). Sigmund Freud believed childhood events led to suppression and repression, leading to negative reactions to stimuli (Feist et al., 2013). Dreams are a means by which the unconscious projects onto the conscious and protects against pain. By dreams one can see the inner workings of the soul.
As one experiences life, dreams connect the unconscious with the conscious making the possible impossible and the impossible possible. Dreams serve as a peephole peering into the unconscious. Like a peephole the field of vision is limited and distorted giving one what appears to be a complete picture yet without end or limits. This peephole allows the wildest thoughts and desires to flow freely making difficult events seem happy and fulfilling. This peephole also serves as a means to misunderstand reality the unconscious is attempting to modify to protect the conscious mind.
At birth, one is consumed by dreams. With a lack of the conscious mind early life finds its sustainment by the unconscious mind through dreams (Feist et al., 2013). The dreams of an infant allow the infant to cope with the reality of the harsh world it recently entered. Dreams allow the infant to pass time avoiding the constant desire for satisfaction from milk and attention. With its entire dependence on others dreams are a means for the infant to exist while it is yet to be its own and self-reliant.
Throughout life dreams interlace one’s life from events, to thoughts, to personal items one cares not to discuss (Perera, 2013). As one attends a party in hopes of making a connection with a specific person only to discover the person has already found someone, one’s dreams allows the desire to remain alive avoiding the reality of failure and loss. Dreams allow the person to continue on their path to pleasure after there is no possibility of that pleasure becoming a reality.
As one’s body ages and is less capable, one utilizes the unconscious to remain able in one’s mind (Perera, 2013). As the adventures of life even to the point of being able to make the treacherous journey to the restroom become impossible dreams keep hope, excitement and joy alive. It is dreams whom allow the mind to wonder, to create a false reality and who make the impossible possible once again.
There is a need as the body starts to fail to return to the unconscious to cope with new vulnerabilities one has not experienced since infancy (Perera, 2013). Perera (2013) discusses dreams as one ages, one becomes closer to death, the possibility of experiencing death prior to dying and depressive or motivational effects of dreaming. Recognizing a key principle, the presence of an active issue within a person when the person is unable to properly construct the dream showing the inability to be honest to oneself. The conclusion one comes to, is as one ages dreams increase as a defense mechanism and serve as a means to continue living.
Dreams can spur a person to live to the fullest or suffocate the person with concern. Perera (2013) made an interesting statement mentioning the idea of the delusion of being an active person separated from the person’s physical deficits. Perera (2013) also described, the act of aging as that of an object disappearing as it approaches a black hole. It is an interesting analogy which beckons the question, do objects move out of a person’s view as one ages or are there always objects out of a person’s view? In other words, is the person always operating with a limited field of vision with a need to assume what is missing?
The same principle earlier in life where one dreams what is not possible can allow one to dream of what can be accomplished despite the odds which may stand in the way. If every person functioned within the ideal state of Ego and were grounded in the facts of reality little in society would be accomplished. For example, persons such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates created massive empires. The reality at the time was one of impossibility. Despite the reality both dreamed big, believing themselves capable of overcoming the impossible. As the unconscious breaks into the conscious through dreams a willing participant believing can potentially make the dream a reality.
As one sleeps, one dreams about what one desires, what one wishes was true and what one is incapable of making reality. The unconscious communicates through dreams (Summers, 2006). In our dreams, the desire of the heart becomes reality. Often times functioning as a protection from what is truly taking place in the conscious world. Freud’s specimen dream is an example of this principle. Freud’s dream was a protection against what was happening in his life and poor decisions (Mermelstein, 2003). Freud’s dream allowed him to avoid the truth which protected him from the pain of processing through his life experiences. In this way, Freud was in many ways the ideal subject of study.
Freud’s specimen dream was a means for him to avoid and overcome (Perera, 2013; Summers, 2006). As dreams allow one to avoid reality dreams create a means by which one can continue living (Perera, 2013). However, dreams are also a means to shut down and die (Hebbrecht, 2013). Dreams can cause depression, lack of desire and a hope for death. This can occur when one’s desire is to die or cease to exist. It is the very action of fulfilling the raw desire of the unconscious through manipulating the conscious through dreams.
The Ego contains a host of defense mechanisms. These mechanisms allow a person’s Ego to control raw desires coming from the person’s id and unconscious allowing the person to function within society with what could be considered normal behavior. Resistance is a means to prevent desire from entering the conscious and force the desire into the unconscious (Newirth, 2015; Summers, 2006). At times, the Ego uses suppression which pushes unwanted thoughts or desires deep into the unconscious preventing the thought from entering one’s conscious and reality (Feist et al., 2013; Hebbrecht, 2013). The act of suppression can create anxiety which can lead to repression (Feist et al., 2013). Repression is the means by which the mind protects itself against inappropriate or unwanted desire and thoughts producing the opposite action (Feist et al., 2013; Hebbrecht, 2013; Summers, 2006).
The defensive mechanisms of the Ego allow it to channel psychic energy to satisfy the id and prevent unwanted unconscious desires to become conscious (Feist et al., 2013). The Ego pushes the desires deeper into the unconscious (Summers, 2006). The process of the Ego attempting to protect from unwanted thoughts and desires can lead to alienation. Alienation is the means where one loses control over one’s own actions (Kluners, 2014).
Childhood is an interesting point in one’s existence. As a child, the id reigns causing raw desire to be continually expressed (Feist et al., 2013). This is seen in a baby’s crying to be fed when the baby has gone through the routine preparing to be fed many times prior and knows food will be provided in a few seconds (Feist et al., 2013). As the child grows and develops the Ego starts to emerge and takes charge (Feist et al., 2013). As the Ego emerges the defense is mounted and the Ego channels energy to deflect and satisfy the id (Feist et al., 2013; Hebbrecht, 2013; Perera, 2013). The conscious and unconscious start to have defined lines distinguishing one from another. At this point, mechanisms such as suppression and repression start (Feist et al., 2013; Hebbrecht, 2013; Newirth, 2015). This leads to the development of the child’s personality and outward actions. The child will start to develop involuntary personality traits which may last the child’s entire life (Feist et al., 2013).
Conclusion
Dreams are a means to see within the unconscious as if a looking glass helping to discover what cannot otherwise be seen (Hebbrecht, 2013). Dreams reflect the desires of the unconscious attempting to affect the conscious and bring pleasure. As one ages, dreams act as a means for the unconscious to take away the pain of the realization of decreased physical health (Perera, 2013). Dreams can help one overcome reality and accomplish what otherwise is not possible (Perera, 2013). It is by dreams one functions through the harsh realities of the conscious and stimuli brought on by society. Dreams allow the mind to wander looking at not what is but what is desired, what can be. Dreams connect the unconscious with the conscious, at times functioning as if a peephole, making the possible impossible and the impossible possible.
Freud felt the existence of the unconscious had to be indirectly proven (Feist et al., 2013). Freud was correct, almost 100-years later psychology has not directly proven the unconscious mind’s existence. Dreams have become the proof the unconscious exists and effects the conscious.
References
Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Winkler-Herman, T. R. (2013). Theories of Personality (8 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Hebbrecht, M. (2013). The Dream as a Picture of the Psychoanalytic Process. Journal of Psychoanalysis / Revue Roumain De Psychanalyse, 6(2), 123.
Kluners, M. (2014). Freud as a philosopher of history. Journal of Psychohistory, 42(1), 55-71.
Mermelstein, J. J. (2003). The Selfobject Function of Freud’s Specimen (or Irma) Dream. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 20(2), 303-314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0736-9735.20.2.303
Newirth, J. (2015). Psychoanalysis’ Past, Present, And Future: Sherlock Holmes, Sir Lancelot, and the Wizard of Oz. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 32(), 307-320. Retrieved from 10.1037/a0035251
Perera, S. B. (2013). Circling, Dreaming, Aging. Psychological Perspectives, 56(1), 137-148. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00332925.2013.786642
Summers, F. (2006). Freud’s Relevance for Contemporary Psychoanalytic Technique. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 23(2), 327-338. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0736-9735.23.2.327