In his seminal work "The Interpretation of Dreams," Freud differentiates between a dream's "manifest" content — the actual dream as it is recalled — and the "latent" content, the deeper meaning of the dream which may be too threatening to express directly. Over the past four decades, Freud's hypotheses about dreams have been debated, refuted and ridiculed.
Some psychologists insist that dreams are little more than the brain sifting through the events of the day. Others argue that dreams serve a primarily physiological function — to stimulate the brain during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Still others offer evidence that during sleep, random neural activity erupts from deep within the brain stem and the brain is attempting to make some sense of this neural activity — hence, we have dreams.
Many believe that some dreams, especially repetitive dreams, can suggest subconscious issues/concerns that can be dealt with more successfully if understood. Since dreams or, more accurately, "dream traces" fade rapidly, it is crucial to try to record the dream quickly.
I urge students to keep a pad and pencil next to their beds to record their dreams with as much detail as possible at the moment they awake. Although some of my own notes (from my own dreams, written at 3 or 4 a.m.) more closely resemble the unidentifiable hieroglyphics of an inebriated lunatic rather than the clear, concise verbiage of a university professor, a few key words can often stimulate my memory and I can then piece the dream (or portions thereof) together into some sort of meaningful whole to analyze.
The actual analysis of a dream can be difficult, because the emotional conflicts, fears and desires of the individual are often hidden or buried within the manifest content or the symbolism. Many times, the manifest content is a metaphor for the true problem/issue. Successful interpretation of the metaphor can often bring a new level of understanding to the previously confused student.
Let's examine some of the dreams submitted and see what we can "unravel."
Dream: Mother Troubles
Submitted by a female undergraduate:
"I am being followed by an old woman ... more like an old hag, possibly even a witch. She is dressed in black, carries a salmon-colored rose (my favorite) in one hand and an apple in the other. I think she wants me to take them. I am afraid to turn around to look at her and I start to walk faster. However, I can't seem to lose her. Despite her age she keeps up with me and softly calls my name. I start to run and just want to get away from her. Then I wake up."
Interpretation:
Most probably, this woman who is following you is your own mother. As she follows you, you first see the rose (her love) and then you see the apple. The apple can be the symbol or metaphor for two very different concepts. The apple could represent sustenance, or it could represent something parallel to the (poison) apple given by the witch to Snow White. It would appear that you and your mother may be going through a period of familial or interpersonal stress. At one level you know that she loves you (she keeps up with you, calls to you and offers you a flower). However, you are experiencing a sense of fear, mistrust and discomfort. You can't escape. There may be some personal issues that you need to confront, explore and resolve with your mother. It's almost as if you want to avoid discussing some issue with her (you walk faster).
Dream: The Jealous Boyfriend
Submitted by a male undergraduate:
It's a nice weekend afternoon, and I find myself sitting on a large porch. I think I am at my eating club. In the distance I see someone who vaguely reminds me of my girlfriend, but I know it's not her. This girl is sitting on the lawn of an adjoining eating club with a big football jock. I have no way of knowing for sure that this guy is a football player, but I just sense it. They start to make out. I am feeling very ill at ease, but I can't stop watching. When I stand up to get a better view, I think they are almost naked — in broad daylight! They look up and see me watching. The football player gives me the finger and laughs. They get dressed and walk away. I am left standing there, feeling embarrassed.
Interpretation:
There could be (at least) two interpretations of this dream: the first interpretation suggests that there may be some issues of trust/fidelity/monogamy which you are questioning vis-à-vis your current relationship. Are you worried that your girlfriend may be losing interest? The second interpretation relates more to your own self-concept and perhaps to some feelings of insecurity and/or physical or sexual inadequacy. The female represents either your girlfriend or a female with whom you would like to be intimate. The football player probably symbolizes the powerful, sexual individual you would like to be. In this scenario, you are the observer and not a participant. The couple making out on the lawn resents your intrusion (watching from the porch) and leaves you unfulfilled and embarrassed. You may be concerned that you are not sufficiently satisfying the emotional and sexual needs of your girlfriend. To reduce your own feelings of inadequacy, you may want to discuss the nature of your relationship with her and see if there is any basis for this concern. If your girlfriend is happy with the progression of the relationship and with your ability to satisfy her needs (at different levels), then perhaps you need to address the issue of your own self-esteem. (Why do I feel like Dr. Ruth at this point?) If, on the other hand, you discover that the relationship is not as solid as you had hoped, then you need to deal with those issues now, rather than later.
Dream: Falling off a Building
Submitted by a male undergraduate:
"I find myself continuously falling off a multistory building in New York City. I don't know how I got to the top of this building and I don't even know how I got to New York. I'm from the West Coast. Nor do I remember hitting the concrete after falling off the building. I don't think anyone pushed me; I think I just jumped. I just remember the sensation of falling from a very high skyscraper and then waking up frightened. This dream occurs at least twice a month."
Interpretation:
Dreams of this nature usually suggest that you feel one or more aspects of your life are out of control. If this dream occurs only during the academic year, that would suggest you do not feel in control of all your classes, grades, papers, etc. Princeton can be a pressure cooker for some, especially with the increased competition among students who are vying for a place in the top 35 percent. Things may be getting out of hand and you are concerned that they may escalate. If it occurs throughout the year, one could speculate that you are very concerned about maintaining control over a variety of life situations, which could include social, vocational, financial, personal, familial and/or academic areas. I would suggest you take a close look at the primary variables in your life and try to determine those which fall into the "safe" category and those which appear (at least to you) to be more tentative.
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