The Psychodynamic Approach - Dream Analysis Flashcards
1
Q
What causes abnormality?
- Freud argued that…
- Therefore, abnormal behaviours…
- For example…
A
- Freud argued that all human behaviour is caused by the unconscious mind
- Therefore, abnormal behaviours such as depression or anxiety are caused by abnormality that exists within the unconscious mind
- For example, the distressing demands of the id or traumatic childhood experiences which have been locked away in the unconscious as to not cause any further trauma
2
Q
What is the aim of dream analysis?
A
- to unlock the unconscious mind
- so that trauma and conflict can be brought into the conscious mind
- where it can be worked through, processed and dealt with
- in doing this, the mental illness is treated and cured
3
Q
What is an ethical issue of dream analysis?
A
- could cause further pain and trauma
- trauma and conflict has been locked away for a reason
- but, to get over the mental illness you must face it
- so you will feel worse before you feel better
4
Q
What are abnormalities?
A
- fears
- mental illnesses
- trauma
etc
5
Q
How does Freud describe dreams?
What did he propose?
A
- “the royal road to the unconscious activities of the mind”
- proposed that the unconscious mind expresses itself through dreams
- the content of dreams can therefore reveal what is in the unconscious mind
6
Q
What 4 principles are dream analysis based off of?
(ideas behind dream analysis)
A
- dreams act as wish fulfilment of the id
- dreams are symbolic
- dreamwork
- the role of the therapist
7
Q
Dreams act as fulfilment of the id:
- the id is the demanding…
- this is too traumatic…
- however, when we are asleep…
- according to Freud…
A
- the id is the demanding part of the personality demanding that its sexual, aggressive and selfish urges be satisfied
- this is too traumatic for the conscious mind and so these demands exist unconsciously
- however, when we are asleep, the id has more freedom and our dreams act as wish fulfilment for the id. It gets to satisfy its needs via our dreams
- according to Freud, all dreams are the unconscious fulfilment of wishes that could not be satisfied consciously
8
Q
How does the id have more freedom when we’re asleep?
A
- our conscious mind is asleep
- so can’t control the id
- the id can now satisfy needs when asleep in dreams
9
Q
Dreams are symbolic:
- if we dreamed what we really feared…
- therefore, the id’s wishes are…
- the actual content of the dreams is made up of…
A
- if we dreamed what we really feared or what the id actually desired, it would cause anxiety for the conscious mind
- therefore, the id’s wishes and our deep-rooted fears are filtered through layers of symbolism
- allows the id to be satisfied and our fears to be expressed while still protecting the conscious mind from harm
- the actual content of the dreams is made up of symbols that represent the real, unconscious meaning of the dream
10
Q
What is the manifest content of a dream?
A
- the actual content of the dream
11
Q
What is the latent content of a dream?
A
- the real problems buried away
- the real unconscious meaning of the dream
- includes wishes, urges, repressed trauma etc.
12
Q
What is the purpose of dream analysis in therapy?
A
- to uncover the latent content of a dream by examining the manifest content
13
Q
What will a patient talk to a therapist about?
A
- talk about the manifest content
- the therapist will help guide the patient to uncovering the latent
14
Q
How will a patient feel better?
A
- when the symbols have been interpreted, the client has a better understanding of what is causing their distress
- this can then be processed and worked through and the client will begin to feel better
15
Q
What is dreamwork?
A
- how a dream is made
- the process used by the mind to transform unacceptable, unconscious desires (latent content) into symbols (manifest content)
- so that the unconscious desires can be expressed in dreams without causing any trauma for the conscious mind
16
Q
What are the 4 dreamwork processes?
A
- condensation
- displacement
- symbolism
- secondary revision
17
Q
What is condensation?
What is an example?
A
- this is the combining of unconscious thoughts into one image
- one image may represent several ideas
- for example, dreaming of a person who is made up of different elements of a range of people
18
Q
What is displacement?
What is an example?
A
- the emotion towards someone or something is transferred onto a safer, less threatening target
- for example, a person who is angry with their mother may dream of smashing a vase that the mother bought them as a gift
19
Q
What is symbolism?
What is an example?
A
- abstract concepts are represented in symbolic forms
- for example, a fear of authority may be symbolised as a powerful king
20
Q
What is secondary revision?
A
- the unconscious mind collects all the different images and ties them together to form a logical story line
21
Q
What is the role of the therapist in dream analysis?
What do they do?
A
- to shed a light on the latent content of the dream by “undoing” the dreamwork processes that made the dream
- do this by suggesting various interpretations of the symbols based on the patient’s feedback and knowledge of their life experiences
- this allows the patient to select the interpretations that make sense to them
22
Q
By bringing issues into conscious awareness…
A
- by bringing issues into conscious awareness (insight), they can be dealt with, and unconscious conflicts can be resolved
- issues could be past or current troubles
- relationships, jobs, childhood, parents, siblings etc.
23
Q
Talking about the underlying issue can be…
A
- talking about the underlying issue can be cathartic for the patient
- they experience psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions
24
Q
A
