______________________________________________________ Dream Work: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
and ego strength. All of these are therapeutic goals shared by most forms of psychotherapy. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICIANS Freud’s analysis of the Irma dream can be intimidating. How- ever, his recommendations for clinicians just beginning dream interpretation can mitigate concern [31]: • Do not expect dream interpretation to come easily. • If blocked, stop and begin another day. • It is not possible to interpret all dreams; however, it is always possible to make enough progress to know that a dream is a structure with a meaning. • One satisfactory interpretation does not preclude a second; allegorical dreams require a second interpretation. Series and/or consecutive dreams have common ground and should be interpreted in connection with one another. • Focus attention on a single dream element; abandon the purposive approach that usually characterizes thought. • Perfection is not required; incomplete interpretation can be helpful. DREAM SPECIMENS Few clinicians will approach Freud’s virtuosity, and this level is not required to achieve useful insights. The following are examples of ordinary dreams and ordinary, but important, applications. Dreams I and II are the author’s; dreams III and IV belong to clients in the author’s practice. DREAM I I am walking along a path in the snow. I can feel cool air on my face and see snowflakes falling. I meet D and exclaim several times, “I’m so happy to see you again!” We embrace; I feel happy and excited. Precipitating Events On the previous evening, old friends, E and F, arrived for a visit. I greeted them happily with the words repeated in the dream. During the work week, my thoughts had been unhap- pily occupied with criticisms leveled against a friend and col- league by others in our organization. I had also been targeted by these same faultfinders. Recently, one of the women in this group had been in the office as I passed through. I suppressed angry feelings, nodded in what I perceived to be a civil, but hypocritical fashion, and went my way. Associations • Snow and cool air: The evening of the dream was warm; I had turned on the air conditioner before going to sleep. • D: A colleague from a previous workplace and a skillful politician who often advised me on internal
political matters. D sided with me in disputes. We also often spoke about our teenaged sons, both of whom played high school soccer. Days before the dream, as my husband watched a televised soccer game, I had remarked, “Too bad you didn’t get to know D; he loved soccer.” • “I’m so happy to see you again:” As noted, the dream took these words from the previous evening. Analysis At first, this dream seems simple and obvious. Associations emerged readily. Its thoughts and wishes appeared to be innocent and sentimental: during a time of collegial quarrel- ing, I wished for the advice, wisdom, and support of my old friend. If only he could return as had E and F! Still, something incomplete nagged away. I was fond of D, but the dream’s joyful reunion exaggerated my feelings. Something seemed phony. My thoughts returned to the criticism I had endured and to the critic, a person I was not “so happy to see again.” Then, they again turned to D and that favorite topic of ours—soccer. Soccer is a homophone of “sock her.” A suppressed impulse to strike back angrily and aggressively was the dream’s latent wish, disguised in affectionate, picture-pretty content. The dream’s feelings, words, and images were hypocritical. The figure of an old trusted male colleague, recent words of a friendly greeting, and feelings of affection combined to conceal their opposites: a distrusted female, a curt nod, and angry aggression. Everything led away from my real sleeping thoughts. (Freud called dreams like this “red herrings.”) DREAM II I am in a kitchen, somehow located upstairs and with many big windows. I am preparing a large meal. Other people (unknown to me) are around me. I look out a window and see L (and her sister?) approaching. L is smiling broadly. I greet her enthusiastically; she must walk upstairs to join me, which she does. I invite her to stay, hoping she will accept. Precipitating Events I dreamed this while napping after an early morning medical procedure, a colonoscopy. I had spent the previous afternoon and evening fasting and cleansing. The morning was routine except for a telephone call from my husband’s wealthy cousin, A. At A’s request, I had found a therapist for someone close to her. I had chosen carefully and recommended a colleague whom I admire. A was calling back to ask that I negotiate a low fee. I was surprised, angry, and embarrassed at the idea. I also felt used. Did she want expertise or a discount? I stifled my irritation, however, and simply explained that payment is arranged between patient and therapist. Associations • Kitchen upstairs with big windows: The colleague
to whom I had referred A has an upstairs office with big windows. Also, on the previous day, my
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