Dream Symbols Unveiled: Decoding Dreams: Psychoanalysis
Table of Contents
The Unconscious Expression
When we sleep, our defenses are believed to function differently compared to when we are awake. During sleep, the unconscious mind is free to express itself, and it does so through our dreams. However, even in our dreams, there is some level of censorship to protect us from frightening insights into our repressed experiences and emotions. This protective mechanism takes the form of dream distortion.
Dream Displacement
Dream displacement occurs when our unconscious uses a "safe" person, event, or object as a substitute to represent a more threatening one. For instance, we may dream of an elementary school teacher sexually molesting us, which actually symbolizes our unconscious knowledge of a similar experience with one of our parents. This process allows us to express and avoid confronting deeply troubling emotions simultaneously.
Condensation in Dreams
Condensation occurs in dreams when a single dream image or event represents multiple unconsciou…