Understanding

1
Understanding of Dreams.
2
According to Freud, dreams were disguised,
hallucinatory fulfilment of repressed wishes.
3
He also asserted that dreams not only represented
current wishes,
4
but were also invariably expressions of
wish-fulfilments dating from early childhood.
5

Dreams, he believed, gave indirect expressions to
infantile sexual wishes which had been repressed
and which,
6
if expressed in undisguised form, would so
disturb the dreamer that he would wake up.
7
Because these wishes are unacceptable and
potentially disturbing, they are censored and
disguised.
8
Freud described the mental processes, or
dream-work, by which the dream was modified and
rendered less disturbing.
9
These processes included
10
Condensation, the fusing together of different
ideas and images into a single image
11
Displacement, in which a potentially disturbing
image or idea is replaced by something connected
but less disturbing
12
Representation, the process by which thoughts are
converted into visual images
13
Symbolization, in which some neutral object
stands for some aspect of sexual life or those
persons connected with it which the dreamer would
prefer not to recognize.
14
Freud introduced the term manifest content to
describe what the dreamer recalled.
15
In contrast, the latent content was the hidden,
true meaning of the dream.
16
This latent content could be ascertained only
when the dreamers associations to the images in
the dream had been subjected to psychoanalytical
scrutiny and interpretation.
17
There were many other forms of dreams e.g.
traumatic dreams, anxiety dreams etc.
18
They did not seem to fit into Freuds theory of
dreams which was primarily concerned with
infantile sexuality.
19
There are many reasons for thinking that what is
unconscious is not exclusively the consequence of
repression, including the fact that some dreams
are clearly creative or provide answers to
problems.
20
Although everything which was repressed was
unconscious, not everything unconscious was
repressed.
21
Jung does not distinguish between manifest and
latent dream content in the same manner that
Freud does.
22
According to Jung, dream is spontaneous self
portrayal in symbolic form of the actual
situation in the unconscious.
23
According to the Talmud, the dream is its own
interpretation. Any dream which is not
interpreted, is like a book which is not opened.
24
It shows the inner truth and reality of the
patient as it really is not as the
interpretation of the analyst and not as the
patient would like it to be, but as it is.
25
The dream does not censor or distort, although
there are dreams which on the surface do look
like disguised wish-fulfillment, a more profound
understanding will invariably be gained if these
dreams are approached with the hypothesis that
dreams do not hide but reveal.
26
They invariably point to something as yet unknown
which they express in the vocabulary of the
known, rather than merely disguising or censoring
what one already presumes to know.
27
Dreams are not symptomatic, but symbolic. The
deeper layers speak in images.
28
These images are to be viewed as if they
presented us with description of ourselves, or
our unconscious situations.
29
We must translate the dream statements by putting
the dreamers association and explanation into
the context of the images.
30
Associations are the contents which happen to
come to mind when the dream image is considered,
whether they be rational or irrational.
31
If I have dreamed of a particular object, I might
recall that I always become angry when a certain
person uses this object this is an association.
32
An explanation is a more rational description of
what the dream image means to me.
33
The first step in understanding a dream is to
establish its context. This means unravelling its
network of relationships with the dreamer and his
or her life, and discovering the significance of
various images it presents
34
e.g., ones mother might appear in a dream
35
Now, everyone has a concept of what mother means,
but for each person the image of the mother is
different, and the significance of this image
will even vary from time to time.
36
As far as possible, each image or symbol must be
taken in turn till its meaning for the dreamer is
established as nearly as possible.
37
And not until this has been carefully done is one
in a position to understand what the dream may
mean.
38
So Jung does not have a fixed method of dream
interpretation, for each dream is taken as a
direct expression of the dreamers unconscious,
and only to be understood in this light.
39
When the dreamers personal association do not
seem to suffice, when mythological motifs occur,
the analysts amplification maybe added
40
namely what the analyst happens to know about the
historical context and meaning of the
symbolism.
41
Every dream interpretation may pertain either to
what we call the object level or the subject
level.
42
Dreams on an objective level are related to what
is going on in the environment the people
appearing in it are taken as real, and their
relationship to, and possible influence on the
dreamer are analysed.
43
In dreams on a subjective level the dream-figures
are taken as representing aspects of the
dreamers personality.
44
It depends on the circumstances of the moment
which side the emphasis shall be placed,
45
e.g. a woman dreaming of her father
46
..may need to face a problem connected with him
or some aspect of her relationship to him, or she
may need to recognize the male principle
(personified by the father) in herself.
47
Generally speaking, the subjective aspect of
dreams become more important in the later stages
of analysis when the personal problems have been
seen and understood.
48
Some dreams make use of incomprehensible symbols,
and their relationship to the dreamer is
difficult to trace.
49
These Jung classes as collective dreams, and to
understand them use must often be made of
historical, mythological, cultural and fairy
tales analogies to find what the symbols meant to
other men in other times.
50
A fairly common belief is that dreams reproduce
the events of the day before, especially if these
were significant or striking.
51
Careful recording, however, shows that dreams
rarely repeat events in an exact manner they add
or subtract something, round off the experience,
or can be shown it to be compensatory in
character.
52
This tendency to compensate a conscious attitude
is an important characteristic of the dream, and
must always be taken into account when attempting
to understand it.
53
As an example of a dream of compensatory
character, Jung quotes a young man who dreamt
his father was behaving in a drunken and
disorderly manner.
54
The real father did no such thing and the young
man had an excellent relationship with him. In
fact the admiration for his father prevented him
from developing his own different personality.
55
It was almost as if the dream was saying, he is
not so marvellous after all and he can behave in
a quite irresponsible manner. There is no need
for you to feel so inferior.
56
Dreams also work the other way round if we
habitually undervalue somebody, we are likely to
have a dream which flatters or elevates him, for
instance,.
57
in a much higher position than the one he would
normally occupy.
58
Dreams also bring hidden conflicts to light by
showing an unknown side of the character,
59
as when a mild, inoffensive person dreams of
violence,
60
or an ascetic or sexual orgies, but more
frequently the dream language is less direct than
this.
61
Dreams sometimes express hidden wishes. The wish
fulfilment dream is usually easy to spot
62
when, for instance, the hungry man dreams he is
eating a wonderful meal, or the thirsty that
they see sparkling water.
63
Forward-looking or prospective dreams e.g. a
woman who was shortly going to move to a new and
unknown district, dreamt correctly all about the
house she would live in, down to the smallest
detail, even including the reason why its present
owners were leaving it.
64
Warning dreams as for example that of the
mountain climber who dreamt he was climbing
higher and higher and gaily stepping off into
space
65
but the man in question simply laughed. Not so
very long after he was killed in the mountains, a
friend actually seeing him step off into the air.
66
To dream of death, however, does not necessarily
indicate a fatal accident.
67
There is symbolic as well as actual physical
death.
68
A series of dreams makes a more satisfactory
basis for interpretation than a single dream, for
the theme which the unconscious is presenting
becomes clearer, the important images underlined
by repetition, and mistakes in interpretation art
corrected by the next dream.
69
Approach to Dreams
70
Dreams reveal uncompensated feelings. They are
the most direct and the most obvious path to the
patient's true nature.
71
They therefore have immense value as symptoms and
often are the key to many cases.
72
Dreams cannot be ignored, an understanding of
them reveals the deepest and the pure feelings of
the patient.
73

• Two things never to be done with dreams
•  
• Ignore

• Interpret

74
If we 'ignore' dreams, especially those that are
vivid and repetitive, we are ignoring the most
important clue to the patient's subconscious
state, in other words we are neglecting the most
direct and the most obvious path to the delusion.
75
If we 'interpret' dreams we are falling into the
trap of theorizing. This is a very risky thing to
do because it involves the physician's feelings
rather than those of the patient.
76
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN DREAMS?
77
The exact description of each ingredient of the
dream.
78
The exact feeling in the dream - the feelings in
the dream are so individual that they never cease
to amaze.
79
The depth of the feelings and the degree of
desperation felt in the dreams.
80
Examples If the patient has dreams of falling
then the height from which he sees himself
falling is significant
81
(A patient needing Sulphur will have dreams of
falling off a high place. But a woman requiring
Platinum will have dream of falling off a very
great height, the tallest building in the world.)
82
Similarly, if a patient has dream of dirty
toilets, his description of how dirty they are
and what is happening to him over there will
indicate the depth of his feelings.
83
If the dream is of danger, it is to be seen
whether there is an escape route.
84
If he feels alone in the dream, what is the depth
of the feeling? How alone does he feel? Does
being alone mean for him being separated from his
family, or does it mean that he feels all alone
in the world?
85
If he has dreams of being naked, what is the
situation in which he is naked? Does he have
dreams of being naked and trying to hide, so that
no one sees him?
86
One can appreciate the depth of the feeling by
asking the patient what the outcome would be if
the dream were to reach a conclusion.
87
One should also try and access how serious the
situation is for the patient.
88
Where is the feeling in the dream or its opposite
found in the patient's life?
89
Examples If the patient has dreams of being
tortured, then one has to see where else in his
life he has had a similar feeling
90
Let him take you to that situation and describe
it in its full detail, along with the physical
sensations experienced.
91
If the patient has dreams of being in heaven, it
would be worth examining where he has felt the
opposite, i.e., being in hell.
92
What does the patient associate with the feeling
in the dream spontaneously? -
93
The patient is questioned in depth about his
feeling, encouraged to describe it more and more
clearly and precisely till he cites an incident
where he had felt similarly.
94
ACTUAL DREAMS Actual dreams are those seen in
the state of sleep.
95
These are usually seen in cases where the
feelings are heavily compensated in the waking or
conscious state. In the state of sleep, however,
this compensation is lost and the dreams surface.
96

• Some kinds of actual dreams are
•  
• Pleasant.
•  
• Unpleasant.

97

• Dreams without emotions.
•  
• Projected.
•  
• Feelings in the dreams.

98

• Associations with the dreams.
• Incidental or situational dreams.

99

• Deep, vivid, repetitive, connected
• dreams.
• Dreams during pregnancy.
• Delirium in cases of fever.

100
VIRTUAL DREAMS   "Virtual dreams' include other
forms of uncompensated behaviour, but in the
waking state. Such behaviour is representative of
the person's real inner feelings and so it is
like a dream.
101
So if a patient is unable to recall any of his
dreams, looking into these virtual dreams one can
understand the pure uncompensated feelings.
102

• Some kinds of virtual dreams are
•  
• Fears.
• Fantasies.

103

• Sensations as if.
•  
• Metaphors.
•  
• Interests and hobbies active
• and passive.

104

• Hobbies avoided.
•  
• Aims, ambitions, goals.
•  
• Hopes.
• Religion and philosophy.

105
ACTUAL DREAMS Dreams occur when a person does
not allow himself to feel in the conscious state.
106
The more the dreams and the more intense the
feelings in the dreams, the stronger is the
delusion, the more intense is the state.
107
Absence of dreams can either be a sign of health
or when accompanied by gross pathology, a sign of
very severe disease.
108
In case of health, the person is aware of his
feelings and they remain at a conscious level,
hence the absence of dreams.
109
But in case of advanced pathology, the disease
must have traveled from the subconscious to the
organic level for dreams to be present.
110
Pleasant - Pleasant dreams give an idea of the
way the patient would want things to be.
111
The opposite dream or feeling can be looked for
in the case for that is the way the patient
perceives his present situation.
112
Unpleasant - Often, the pleasant and unpleasant
dreams are opposites of each other.
113
When you discover what is common between the two,
you understand an important aspect of the
patient. This connection may not be obvious, but
since it is there, one should try to find it.
114
Dreams without emotions (symbolic) - If they
occur again and again, they are looked up
directly in the Repertory in the Dreams
chapter.
115
The absence of any associated feeling along with
the symbol shows that the dream itself is
significant.
116

• Examples
•  
• Dreams of being pursued by wild
• animals. Though there may be fear
• experienced in the dream, the whole
• dream is a symbol.
•  
• Dreams of falling into water.

117

• Dreams of unsuccessful
• efforts to dress for a
• party.
•  
• Dreams of eating.

118
Projected These involve a third person rather
than the patient himself. The feelings in these
dreams are often blunted.
119
Here one can ask what the patient would feel in
that circumstance. When a dream has associated
with it a certain feeling, that is the feeling of
the patient, whether the dream involves him or
someone else.
120

• Example
•  
• Dreams of the neighbour's
• house being on fire.

121
Feelings in the dreams Dreams that are
complicated can be broken down into their
components and, viewed as well in overall terms,
and connections with the case can be traced.
122
Associations with the dreams This has hardly
been explained above. Here is another example. A
patient who had the dream of a horse being reined
in too tightly, almost immediately after
narrating the dream, gave incidents of always
being under performance pressure from her father.
123
Incidental or situational dreams - These are
dreams that follow a particular incident that
happened on the previous day or a particular
situation at that time.
124
They are of lesser significance, unless there is
something very individual or peculiar in them.
125
Examples Dreams of examinations are common
amongst students. But if a student has the dream
that he has failed an exam and as a result is
being laughed at by everyone, and he feels very
embarrassed, this feeling of embarrassment is
peculiar to him and attains the significance of a
symptom.
126
If a person's house has been robbed in the recent
past and he dreams of robbers for sometime after
the incident, these should not be considered very
significant.
127
Deep, vivid, repetitive, connected dreams - Vivid
dreams unconnected with external reality.
128
Dreams during pregnancy - Especially important in
the cases of children, where one is unable to
obtain dreams directly from the patients. These
are important in understanding the state of the
mother during pregnancy.
129

• VIRTUAL DREAMS
•  
• Fears.
• Fantasies.
• Sensation as if- These can be described
• by the patient even as he describes his
• physical symptoms.

130

• Example
•  
• When breathless, she had the feeling as if
• someone sat on her chest.
•  
• Pains as if a sharp knife was driven through her
• stomach. These sensations in isolation will not
• be as relevant as when one is able to connect
• them with the rest of the case.

131
Metaphors Metaphorical expressions give images
in certain situations that represent more the
inner feeling than reality.
132

• Examples
• I am so tied down with work. 
• It was a huge jump for me from one
• business to another.
• I felt the relationship was so brittle.
• The heat was killing.

133
Interests and hobbies We choose hobbies that
allow us to express our state. Unlike jobs and
professions in the choice of which there may be
an element of compulsion, hobbies are pure
indications of what a person likes. In this they
are like pleasant dreams and fantasies.
134
Active interests and hobbies These involve an
active participation by the patient, which allows
him to live his inner state.
135
Passive interests and hobbies Where the patient
is a mere spectator, rather than a participant.
These include music (information of the type of
music and favorite songs can be very helpful in
understanding the state of the patient)
136
reading (the type of literature and stories the
person chooses) movies (even if the physician
has watched the movie, it is better to ask the
patient to describe it as if he has not seen it,
and note the individual reaction of the patient)
137
humor (humor is the other side of horror. When we
are unable to face the horror in a situation we
make light of it. A person jokes, if they have a
common theme, reveal his nightmare)
138
Hobbies avoided -   Example Calcarea persons
usually avoid violent movies.
139
Aims, ambitions, goals -   Example Cuprum
metallicum children often say that they would
like to be fighter pilots.
140
As one gets older, one might modify one's
ambition according to practical reality, but here
the question is what you would rather be.
141
Hopes These are exactly diametrically opposite
to the elements of the delusion. They are also
opposite to the fears.
142
Example If the patient was to say I hope that
my father will live long, his fear (delusion) is
that his father will die.
143
Religion and philosophy - What these mean to the
patient is sometimes important to understand
rather than merely his interest in these.
144
Dreams are indeed most important at arriving at
the patient's innermost feeling. But they are
only part of an entire system of case-taking,
analysis, and follow-up.
145
Understanding of Homoeopathic remedies with the
help of the dreams produced by the proving of
respective remedies
146
SEPIA It is especially suited to women who have
over vigorous husbands. These patients develop
many symptoms as a result of traumatic coition.
They develop an aversion to husband. They have a
dread of men as these patients are forced into
coition.
147

• Dreams, pursued, being
• Dreams, rape, threats of rape
• Dreams, amorous, coition with

148
She takes everything from her husband without any
revolt because of the deep-seated insecurity of
her husband leaving her. This insecurity is
further reinforced by her false idea of appearing
ugly.
149

• Dreams, old gentleman ran away from wife,
  suspected of having married another.
• Dreams, body parts of, face disfigured.

150
She toils for her family and is full of cares and
worries about domestic affairs.
151

• Dreams, business, of day, of the
• Dreams, busy, being hurry
• Dreams, exhausting

152

• D/D
• Kreosote also has a similar dream
• Dreams, rape, pursued for the purpose of.

153
Kreosote seems to have a lot of relation to
sexual feelings, consciously and subconsciously.
The women are known to have a lot of anxiety
about sex as is seen in the following rubric
154

• Anxiety, coition, during.
• Anxiety, coition, thought of, in a woman.

155

• Kreosote also has dreams of dirty linen which
  indicates sexual attitudes that one is not proud
  of, and difficult feelings about ones biological
  side.
• Dreams, dirt, linen dirty.
• Dreams, coition of urinating during coition, and

156
D/D Cenchris Like all snake remedies, Cenchris
has a sense of persecution, which in this drug,
is more marked for sex.
157

• Dreams, rape, threats of
• Dreams, indecent behavior of men and women
• Dreams, animals of, copulating
• Dreams, nakedness about

158

• Cenchris also has a dream which indicates a
  feeling that others seek to mutilate, humiliate
  or reject them. It represents an unconscious fear
  of being weaker than others.
• Dreams, body, body parts, teeth, pulled being.

159
Natrum muriaticum They are extremely sensitive
and introvert. They cannot tolerate injustice,
and any type of deception cause grief and
mortification.
160
They develop hatred toward people who have
offended them. Due to the past experiences of
deception they develop a fear of people
especially robbers which makes them search
beneath the bed and recheck the locks.
161
They do not confide in others and brood over the
same thing over and over again. The suppressed
emotions take the form of dreams
162

• Dreams, anger
• Dreams, fights
• Dreams, vexations
• Dreams, robbers

163
They cut off their relations with the person who
has offended them. They are not able to express
their hatred completely.
164
This hatred is expressed indirectly in the
dreams, which are full of cruel acts and death. A
dream of death can also signify the death of the
relationship.
165

• Dreams, cruelty
• Dreams, death

166
D/D Staphysagria Staphysagria has dreams of
fights, quarrels and vexations like Natrum
muriaticum.
167
The main difference is that Staphysagria
individuals are very sensitive to what others
think about them. So the feeling of humiliation
and mortification is expressed very strongly in
the dreams of Staphysagria.
168

• Dreams, humiliation
• Dreams, shameful
• The shameful dreams reflect their feelings
  towards their excessive sexual preoccupations and
  indulgence.

169
Lachesis The Lachesis individuals always fear
some kind of injury from their environment. This
fear creates a lot of suspicion in their minds to
such an extent that they cannot trust even their
near and dear ones.
170
They have a fear of death and feel that the
preparations for their funeral are under way.
This intense paranoia is reflected in their
dreams.
171

• Dreams, danger
• Dreams, death
• Dreams, murdered, being
• Dreams, knives
• Dreams, stabbed, fear of being
• Dreams, snakes

172
Dreams of snakes also signifies the sexuality of
lachesis individuals. There is an increased
sexual desire in these individuals which is
either suppressed or they over indulge in sexual
activities.
173
There is also an element of the sexual desire
deviating from the normal heterosexual
relationship which is expressed as homosexual
behavior.
174
Lac can The dreams of snakes is a strong
manifestation of unconscious in Lac can.
175
Symbolism of snake in Lac can
Frustrated sexual impulses or instincts which
are out of control (A/F Sexual abuse)
176
Our emotions turned against ourselves
as introjected aggression (Antagonism with
oneself)
177

• Unconscious worries
• about health
• Delusion disease, incurable has
• Delusion heart, disease, will have, and die, is

178
Hura Hura is one of the main drugs for a
feeling of being unfortunate and forsaken. It is
a feeling of loss of ones place and identity in
society.
179
There is a feeling that no one cares for him.
This kind of feeling emotionally kills a part of
oneself. This destruction of the identity
manifests itself symbolically in the dreams of
death, murder and mutilation.
180

• Dreams, dead bodies
• Dreams, death, of
• Dreams, funerals
• Dreams, murder
• Dreams, mutilation

181
Dreams of dead bodies signify a set of
personality traits and attributes which have been
denied expression.
182
We see this in Hura where the repudiation from
the people he associates with, hinders the
expression of his emotions.
183

• Hura also has dreams of,
• Dreams, body parts, head cut off
• Dreams, guns, shots
• Dreaming of being shot depicts a traumatic injury
  to feelings, often arising out of a close
  relationship.

184
Alumina The Alumina individual is always
confused about his personal identity. They can be
extremely irresolute and most of the time they
give an impression as if they cannot express
their deep emotions. It is very difficult to
detect Alumina as a remedy for these individuals
during the first case taking.
185
The confusion is most of the time associated with
a lack of self confidence.
186
Even though they are very ambitious, their lack
of confidence causes a lot of anxiety and a
marked fear of failure. The anxiety and fear are
accentuated by high expectations of other
people.
187
This whole situation is symbolically expressed by
their unconscious in the following dreams
188

• Dreams, falling height from, a
• Dreams, drowning, boat on a foundering
• Dreams, stars falling

189

• The anxieties and fear are expressed in dreams
  as
• Dreams, foundering boat
• Dreams, difficulties
• Dreams, misfortunes

190

• When they are not able to fulfill their ambitions
  they feel ashamed of themselves which is
  expressed in the following dream
• Dreams, embarrassment
• Dreams, humiliation
• Dreams, shameful

191

• One of the most peculiar dreams of Alumina is
• Dreams, water, wading in, serpents, in which
  are, of which he is afraid

192
Water signifies the unconscious and serpents
signify the impulses and instincts, which if not
controlled can intrude the conscious activities
of the person. Sometimes the eruption of
unconscious elements into the conscious mind
leads to chaotic and a psychotic state.
193
Alumina has a fear of losing self control and
fear of insanity. Both these fears are thus very
well represented in the above dream.
194
Thanks