1. Dream Analysis (Therapy)

2. Today’s Lesson
Understand how the psychodynamic approach explains dreams
Understand the key features of dream analysis

3. Starter
With the people around you discuss the two following questions.
Why do we dream?
Do dreams have a meaning?

4. What is Psychoanalysis
A therapy developed by Freud
Based on the idea that we are often unaware of the influence of the unconscious
Catharsis
Insight
How do these two processes link back to the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

5. What are Dreams
Have you ever had a really memorable dream? Any interesting dreams recently?
Dreams as wish fulfilment
Missing words
How does this explanation link back to the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?
Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious (Freud, 1900)

6. Manifest and latent content
Use the information on pages 32 and 33, and define the following terms
Manifest content
Latent content
Think of some examples

7. Dream analysis
AIM
Not so much to interpret dreams, but to use dreams to uncover things in the unconscious
Insight
Catharsis
The purpose of dream analysis in therapy therefore is to uncover the _______________ content of a dream by examining the ________________ content.

8. Main features
A patient will talk to the therapist about the _________________ content of their dream, and the therapist will help guide the patient to uncovering the _________________ content.
Done in the content of the person’s own life and experience
IMPORTANTLY
It is not the therapist who makes the final interpretation. The therapist will provide a few possible interpretations and the patient will pick the explanation which they feel is true.

9. Dreamwork
The latent content is turned into the manifest content through dreamwork
Makes things symbolic
Cut out and stick the information into the correct boxes below
Read the case study. Have a go at interpreting Bob’s dream. Try to use the correct dreamwork terms

10. Dreaming How could Freudian theories explain nightmares?
Not everything is symbolic in dreams…
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar!

11. Findings from research
Solms (2000) found evidence for Freud’s theory of dreaming
PET scans show that when people are dreaming, their forebrain is active, but the parts of the brain involved in logic are dormant (quiet).
The id is active, the ego is dormant