The Freudian Theory of Dreaming (OCR GCSE Psychology): Revision Note

The unconscious mind

• Many psychologists believe dreaming, like sleep, serves an important function

• Freud proposed one of the most influential theories, arguing that most thoughts, memories and desires exist in the unconscious mind

  • Although we are unaware of these processes, they strongly influence our emotions, behaviour and dreams

• Freud believed dreams provide a window into the unconscious because they reveal hidden thoughts and unresolved conflicts

  • By analysing dreams, we gain access to what is happening beneath conscious awareness

The role of repression

• Repression is a defence mechanism that pushes threatening or unpleasant thoughts (often linked to aggression or sex) out of conscious awareness

  • These repressed urges do not disappear — they remain active in the unconscious mind

• When repression becomes too strong, the unconscious material needs an outlet

• Freud argued that dreams offer a safe release for these urges, allowing them to surface without causing distress or social consequences

Wish fulfilment

• Freud also believed that dreams allow us to fulfil desires we cannot express when awake — this is the idea of wish fulfilment

• Dreams symbolically release hidden urges (e.g., anger, jealousy, sexual desire)

  • E.g., someone angry with their mother-in-law may dream of arguing with them because doing so openly would be inappropriate.

• Freud argued that wishes are rarely shown directly; instead, they appear disguised through symbols

Manifest & latent content

Manifest content

• This is the actual dream the person remembers — the images, story and events

  • E.g., Objects like poles, swords and guns make up the manifest content of a dream

Latent content

• This is the hidden, symbolic meaning behind the dream

• Freud believed many dream symbols represent repressed sexual or aggressive urges

  • E.g., dreaming about poles, swords, and guns is actually a phallic symbol

  • A woman dreaming about such objects may be experiencing penis envy

• To understand a dream, Freud said the latent content must be interpreted — the manifest content cannot be taken at face value

Criticisms of the Freudian theory of dreaming

• Too subjective

  • Dream interpretation is highly subjective — different people can interpret the same dream differently

  • There is no reliable way to check which interpretation is correct

• Difficult to test scientifically

  • Because dreams involve the unconscious mind, researchers cannot observe or measure the processes Freud described

  • His ideas rely on case studies and interpretations rather than scientific evidence

• Unreliable research base

  • Much of Freud’s evidence comes from a small number of case studies

  • These cannot be generalised to wider populations

• Narrow interpretation

  • Freud’s theory focuses heavily on sex and aggression as the main meaning behind dreams

  • Critics argue that dreams can reflect many everyday concerns (e.g., work, worries, events of the day) and are not always symbolic

• Cultural and historical bias

  • Freud developed his theory in a society with strict views about sex

  • His interpretations may reflect early-20th-century cultural norms rather than universal dream meanings