Introduction to Psychoanalysis

Chapter 28 Some Questions and Critical Observations (2)
This criticism arises mainly in connection with the diverting effects of dreams.You already know that the transference of dreams is the most powerful instrument of the censorship of dreams.As a result of the diversion, substitutes are formed which we call metaphors; these metaphors themselves are not easy to recognize, nor can they be easily traced back to the underlying dream-content itself.Implicit and allusive are connected by a most peculiar association of non-essential properties.Its purpose is entirely to conceal the latent dream-content, which is the object of the dream-censorship.However, we cannot expect to search for these hidden meanings in their usual domain.Recently border inspectors have been much smarter than the Swiss educational authorities in this matter: when searching for documents or proposals, these inspectors do not only check boxes containing letters; Items are hidden in very secret places, such as double-layer boot soles.If the contraband is indeed found here, it is of course "hard pulled" out, but it is still a very clever "discovery".

Since we admit that the elements of latent dreams have a very strange, even ridiculous connection with their superficial substitutes, there are many cases that we can't ask for, and we rely on these prior experiences for the interpretation of dreams. as a guide.Our own efforts to interpret these dreams are often in vain; for the connection between latent and manifest dreams cannot be guessed in waking life.The riddle will be solved by the dreamer's own direct association, which he has the power to because the answer is in his heart; or provided by him, we can solve it with little effort, because the answer will be revealed to us naturally. present; if the dreamer does not assist in these two ways, the elements of the manifest dream must never be understood.Now, I want to tell you another recent example: I had a female patient whose father died suddenly during treatment, so she often looked for opportunities to revive him in her dreams.Once she dreamed that she said to her father: "It's a quarter past eleven, it's 12:30, it's a quarter past twelve." How will we interpret such time reports?She simply said that the father likes to see the children get to the cafeteria on time for lunch.Although this association is connected with the dream element, it cannot explain the origin of the dream.From the treatment at that time, we can know that she actually harbored critical and hostile thoughts towards her beloved father. Our suspicion has good reasons, and it is also one of the reasons for the formation of this dream.So we asked her to make free associations, and she said that she had heard some discussion of psychological issues the day before, and a relative said this sentence: "The primitive man is resurrected in us." The meaning of the dream suddenly became clear.From this, she imagined that her dead father was also resurrected, so she made her father a "time teller" in the dream, announcing the time of lunch every moment. The "primitive man" is Urmensch, and the "time teller" is Uhrmensch.

Of course, we cannot ignore these homophonic words or puns. In fact, the puns of the dreamer often belong to the dream analyst; in addition, there are many examples, and it is difficult for us to judge whether it is a dream or a joke.Remember, however, that the same difficulty arises with certain slips of the tongue.A man said he was in a car with his uncle, who hugged and kissed him.The dreamer immediately explained himself that the dream meant masturbation.Is this man making up a joke to trick us?Did he pretend that the homonym was part of the dream?I don't think so, he did have the dream.But why are dreams and jokes so surprisingly similar?We have made many detours on this question, and I have therefore been compelled to make a thorough study of the problem of jokes themselves.It turns out that the source of jokes is as follows: First, there is an idea that is processed and transformed by the subconscious, and then expressed in a humorous way.In view of the influence of the unconscious, there is also the domination of condensation and diversion, that is to say, dominated by the dream-work.Hence the occasional resemblance between dreams and jokes, with the difference that "dream jokes" are not as ridiculous as ordinary jokes; a further study of jokes will show why. "Dream jokes" are just a poor way of being funny, not very funny, and certainly not interesting.

In this we are following the primitive method of dream-interpretation of the ancients, which, although it has given us a great deal of useless waste, has also furnished us with many valuable examples of dream-analysis.Here, I take a very important dream in history as an example.There are two versions of this dream, one from Plutarch and the other from Artemidorus of Dordes.The dreamer was Alexander the Great. When he besieged the city of Tyre, the resistance of the soldiers and civilians in the city was very tenacious.In 322 BC, Alexander dreamed of a dancing half-man half-goat monster one night.The dream interpreters in the army analyzed the dream as wishing Alexander the great victory.So this analysis inspired Alexander the Great's determination to continue to attack the city, and the city was captured.Although this analysis feels far-fetched, it is also correct.

Thirdly, I can imagine that you will be very surprised if you hear that some psychoanalysts who study and interpret dreams also hold opposing views on our dream theory.In fact, whenever people have the opportunity to make mistakes, it is difficult to correct them.On the one hand, this is due to the confusion of concepts, and on the other hand, it is based on incorrect induction to make conclusions and put forward claims, which leads to the same mistake as the medical theory of dreams.There is a theory that you already know, which holds that dreams are adapted to the current situation in order to solve future problems, that is, dreams have a "precognition tendency" or purpose.This is Middle's point of view.We have said that this view confuses the dream with its latent dream-content and ignores the dream-work.If some people with "precognition tendencies" use this sentence to refer to the subconscious mental activities in the field of hidden thoughts, on the one hand, what they advocate is not innovative, and on the other hand, there are regrets in their descriptions, and the subconscious mental activities In addition to dealing with future events, there are various other tasks.Another fallacy, more muddled in its expression, is that every dream implies "a wish for someone else to die"; the significance of this hypothesis is not fully understood to me, but I suspect that this result is due to a confusion of dream and dream. Caused by the personality of the dreamer.

In addition, some people think that there are two interpretations for every dream: one is the interpretation of psychoanalysis mentioned above, and the other is the interpretation of "memory or symbolism". Higher mental functions.This is Silberier's doctrine.This too is a conclusion drawn by unreasonable induction, based on a few special cases.Such dreams do occur occasionally, but it would be useless to include most of them if the concept is exaggerated too much.There is also Adler's theory, he believes that all kinds of dreams can be explained by both sexes, and believes that it is a mixture of male and female tendencies.Although you have heard many speeches, you may not understand this sentence of Adler.Naturally, such dreams occasionally occur, and the structure of such dreams is very similar to certain symptoms of hysteria.I present here some of these so-called newly discovered general properties of dreams in order to warn you against taking them for granted, or at least not to make you doubt my correct judgment of dreams.

Fourth, some people think that the study of dreams lacks objective value, which seems implausible.Because they believe that people undergoing psychoanalytic treatment deliberately make their dreams conform to the theory believed by the doctor, some people dream of sexual urges, others dream of controlling others, and some even dream of rebirth.In fact, this point of view is very weak, because: first, people have dreaming phenomenon before the so-called psychoanalytic treatment affects dreaming, and second, patients who are receiving psychoanalytic treatment today also have dreaming before receiving psychoanalysis. Had all kinds of dreams.The facts involved in this view, though self-evident, are indifferent to the dream-idea.The "remembrance" of the days before which gave rise to the dream is a relic of the most interesting experience in waking life.If the doctor's words and their stimuli have such an important influence on the patient, they must be mixed into this "remnant", and then become the stimuli of the dream, just like the long-lasting excitement of the things of interest; Similar to physical stimuli that disturb sleepers.These thoughts, induced by the doctor, like other causes of dreams, either manifest themselves in manifest dreams or in latent thoughts.We already know that experiments can induce dreams, or that part of the material of dreams can be introduced into dreams by experiments.The influence of the psychoanalyst on the patient is in the same position as that of the experimenter.For example, Volde would put the limbs of the subjects in a certain position during the experiment.

We can often transfer the material of other people's dreams, but it is absolutely impossible to influence the purpose of other people's dreams; the mechanism of dream work and the desire of the subconscious dream are beyond the reach of external forces.In our discussion of dreams caused by bodily stimuli, we have recognized the peculiarities of the dream life and its independence, which can also be seen clearly in the reflection of physical or mental stimuli received by the dreamer. Therefore, if you say The study of dreams lacks objective value and inevitably confuses dreams with their material.

We have already said a great deal about dreams.You should always be aware that there is a lot that we leave out, and that every discussion is not exhaustive.This, however, is due to the extremely close connection between dream-phenomena and neurotic symptoms.We shall use the study of dreams as a lead for the study of neurotic disorders.This method is superior to studying neuropathy first, and then studying dreams, but we regard dreams as preparations for studying neuropathy, so I can only have a more precise understanding of dreams after I have a little understanding of the manifestations of neuropathy. .

I don't know how you feel, but I think it's worthwhile that we spend so much time discussing dream-related issues.There is no better way for you to understand the precision of psychoanalysis as quickly as possible.If we are to show that neurotic symptoms have a meaning, a purpose, and are formed out of the dreamer's everyday experience, we will have to work long and hard.As for dreams, although initially seemingly chaotic and unexplainable, it only takes a few hours to point out these facts in dreams, such as the various premises of psychoanalysis, that is, the role of the unconscious and the principles followed. The special law and the instinctive impetus it expresses, etc.If we do not forget how similar the structure of dreams is to the symptoms of neurosis, and if we recall carefully how quickly the dreamer becomes a waking, normal person, then we can believe that the cause of neurosis is nothing but mental life. It's just the imbalance of the various forces in China.

(End of this chapter)