When does a dream begin to ‘have meaning’? Linguistic constraints and significant moments in the construction of the meaning of a dream
Journal of Analytical Psychology October 25, 2005 DOI: 10.1111/j.0021-8774.2005.00564.x (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDreams acquire meaning only when they are translated into language, according to this philosophical and psychoanalytic inquiry. The author distinguishes the dream as it is actually experienced from the remembered and narrated version, proposing a two-step phenomenology that acknowledges the dream's objectivity while tracing meaning to its linguistic articulation. After reviewing neurobiological theories, the paper examines psychoanalytic approaches, especially interpretations grounded in intersubjectivity and phantasy, arguing that meaning does not reside in the dream itself but emerges through relational and linguistic processes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Objectivity philosophy Meaning existential Intersubjectivity Phenomenology philosophy Psychology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Proposes that the meaning of a dream originates from its translation into language, not from the dream itself. |
Abstract
The paper investigates the origin of the meaning of dreams starting with a discussion of psychotic dreams. The author distinguishes the dream as dream from the remembered and the narrated. A two-step dream phenomenology is proposed that both acknowledges the objectivity of the dream and traces the origin of its meaning to its translation into language. Following a review of recent neurobiological theories of dreaming, the paper focuses on certain aspects of the psychoanalytical understanding of the dream phenomenon and in particular on the interpretation of dreams from the perspective of intersubjectivity and phantasy.