The Comfort Of Maize
What does Freud's theory of dreams tell us about the nature of the human mind? Freud insists that dreams are a product of the individual's mind and are not something impressed on the mind by outside sources. If the are mental events that need to be analyzed to be understood, what can be inferred about the mind that created them?The functioning of the human mind remains in great measure a catalyst for wonder, amazement, and discovery for all mankind. Some of mankind's greatest intellectuals have attempted to quantify and define the vast amount of brain functions. Through years of experiment and observation, man has excelled in the understanding of many of the brain's functions. However, the function of dreaming continues to elude empirical verification, and many have theorized about its purpose. Sigmund Freud was a pioneer in developing theories on the usage of dreams. He described many of these theories in his essay, "The Interpretation of Dreams." From some of the premises found in his essay, we can see how dreams are capable of opening a window into the nature of human kind. Freud theory states that dreams serve as a function of wish fulfillment. They are the unconscious manifestations of
In this excerpt from "The Interpretation of Dreams," the theory of dreams functioning as wish fulfillment is very clear. It is an inherent function for all living creatures to attempt survival, at least for some period of their life span. I dream I am swallowing down water in great gulps, and it has the delicious taste that nothing can equal but a cool drink when one is parched with thirst. But my waking is preceded by a dream; and this always has the same content, namely, that I am drinking. However, humans have seemed not only to attempt to survive, but to do so by the most satisfying methods available. In many basic respects, this survivalist instinct is based on the idea of self-preservation. It appears that one's Intrapersonal Intelligence would take the burden of responsibility for the dream-wish fulfillment function. Nevertheless, it is clear that intelligence of some kind is responsible for this brain function. It created a convenient joyful response for the child in order to promote the most amount of satisfaction. The wish fulfillment theory suggests that the subconscious compensates for the negative aspects of the conscious life by creating a temporary vacation or resolution to unmet emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. In his essay, Freud used his children as examples of how emotional need could promote the dream-wish fulfillment function. This idea may include other members of one's community, but only by way that the neighbor's survival is instrumental to one's own existence. This striving for satisfaction by the human mind says a lot about human nature. He points to many examples of this idea throughout his essay.
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