During the night of July 23-24, 1895, Freud dreamed a historic dream. He called it “Irma’s Injection. ” Four years later, Freud concluded that dreams are wish fulfillments. This was the first dream he had “submitted to a detailed interpretation” (Gay, P. 1998). Freud was living at Bellevue, a resort villa in a Vienna suburb, at the time of the dream. He was very hard at work when this dream occurred. The dream was of family news and professional concerns. “It was a large hall in which we were receiving many guests, among them ‘Irma’, a friend of the family.
A young lady I had been treating psychoanalytically” (Gay, P. 1998). Freud reproaches her for not accepting his “solution” and tells her that if she still has pains, “it is your fault. ” She replies that the choking pains in her throat, stomach, and abdomen are more severe than of what he knows. Freud studies her and wonders if he has not perhaps overlooked some organic ailment. He looks down her throat and finds a white patch and some grayish scabs formed like the turbinal bones of the nose. The dream scene then grows crowded with physician-friends of Freud’s; Oscar Rie, Breuer, and Fliess.
Somehow all these doctors, except for Fliess, proved to have been responsible for Irma’s persistent pains. He dreams that Rie has thoughtlessly given Irma an injection with a syringe that was not clean Freud interpreted a lot from this dream. “I will not claim that I have completely uncovered the meaning of this dream or that its interpretation is without gaps” (Gay, P. 1998). He recalled the reception of guests as an anticipation for his wife’s birthday party. The chemical trimethylamin that was used reflected on his friend, Fliess’ theories about sexual chemistry because the dream involved a woman.
The unclean syringe showed his excessive pride in the way he carefully kept his syringes clean. He concluded that the dream can be labeled as, “worry over health, one’s own and that of others, and a doctor’s conscientiousness” (Strachey, J. 1968). The burden of the wish the dream portrayed was that Irma’s suffering should be truly seen as not his fault but the fault of others. H. Interpretation of Dreams A survey was completed in Ms. Melville’s second period class, consisting of twenty-three students and Ms. Melville.
Eighty-eight percent stated that they dreamed of kissing someone or being kissed by someone. Kissing someone is interpreted as suggesting an acceptance of that person as potentially a new relationship. It can also mean that you are seeking to develop a quality belonging to that other person in yourself. Being kissed by someone indicates that you are appreciated and loved for yourself. A single kiss, an example is a kiss on the forehead, symbolizes a blessing of a spiritual kind. Kissing a dead person is an omen for a long happy life.
On the other hand, kiss a baby and something you thought was difficult will go well. I. Why are Dreams Forgotten? Most people take very little interest in their dreams. “Anyone who pays attention to their dreams over a period of time will have more dreams than usual. It means memory of dreams is easier” (Strachey, J. 1968). Only the things that are odd and stand out in dreams are remembered. When a dream is forgotten in the morning, it may never be recollected during the course of the day. It is important to remember all details to make out what the true meaning of the dream might be.
Twenty-nine percent of the class stated that they remember their dreams, while 67% said that they don’t, and 4% said that dreams are sometimes remembered. J. Conclusion Many psychologists believe that feelings presented in dreams – usually a single emotion such as fear, anger, or joy – may play a role in the brain’s ability to handle various tasks in life. Hidden feelings are often surfaced, which helps people to understand themselves better. When we understand our dreams we can understand ourselves. This is the significance of dreaming. Therefore, contrary to some belief, dreaming can be very meaningful.
