What Functions Did Freud Attribute to Dreams? Essay

Introduction to Freudian Perspective to Dream Functions

A wide spectrum of views and opinions has been held as to the purpose of dreams to one’s psychological wellbeing. One of the most influential contributions in this discipline has been put forward by Freud, bequeathing laboratory psychology with varied hypothetical situations which have triggered extensive debates on the functions of dreams.

Although the contemporary thought on the function of dreams is more refined, dynamic and with an open focus on environmental impact to dream function- envisioned in the trio perspectives of problem solving, information synthesis and ego consolidation- It does however derive its roots from the Freudian mechanistic and drive reduction approaches to dream function.

Function of Dreams according to Freud

Freud held that dreams have a dual compromise purpose in one’s life. In this perspective he proposed that latent instinctive and unconscious drive demands the expression of a consciously deplorable impulse. The reduced conscious self-control mechanism evident in sleep paves the way for a symbolic expression of the repressed conscious desire – otherwise known as a dream.

Thus the manifested elements of the dream show the resultant compromise between the instinctive desire yearning for expression and the repressive power of conscious self-control.

One of the key assumptions which Freud considered was that the latent power is enormous, rather greater than the conscious power, such that if it were not for the dream which provides a safe avenue of symbolic discharge, the instinctive energy would always disrupt one’s sleep by awakening the sleeper.

In this respect, therefore, dreams not only serve the biological role of preserving sleep but also the psychological duty of easing one’s psychological faculties by relieving them through the discharge of unacceptable impulses- which may be detrimental to the conscious life.

It is quite apparent that Freud’s psychological analysis on the function of dreams rested on the distinction between the conscious and the innate dream content, this wide deviation between the conscious and the instinctive dream content led him to hold the view that dreams hide meaning rather than expose it. A dream, thus, fall short of satisfying the logical discriminative orders of the conscious mind, it does therefore demand to be ordered and decoded for it to be interpreted in structure of the conscious thought.

In this perspective dreams serve a wide variety of purposes such as problem solving, on which front, a dream becomes the mirror of one’s characteristic theology to life, providing the tentative and intrinsic outlook to problem solving. In this manner dreams refine the conscious thought, motivates one to take certain actions and equips one with adaptive responses towards problem solving.

Dreams occur when one sleeps, when one’s physical and conscious faculties are passive, in which state sleep and dreaming are perceived to be part of the whole of the organism’s processes. It is at such an improved information processing environment that the external realities of the conscious world can be well comprehended, for then the mind is most alert, the unseen can be visualized and there is a great awakening of the creative memory systems.

Such awareness ultimately lays the foundation for corresponding attitude adjustment in the dreamer which is evident in the accompanying actions in the conscious world. Perhaps this role of dreams can be regarded as identity-preserving through ego consolidation in which one can get a thorough acquaintance with his/her environment.

Reference List

Dallett, J. (1973). Theories of Dream Function. Web.

LaBerge S. (1985). Lucid Dreaming. Web.