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[Nemesis_]

I'm about to embark on an essay for a unit I wasn't really interested in, and the question asks about the role of dreams in Freud's interpretations. The thing is, I have no idea where to start.

Has anyone got some good links to a "Freud for Dummies" style webpage or something, as somewhere to start?

 

[lopaz]

It's because you want to have sex with your poo

 

[akachan ningen]

Visit your local library if you remember what they look like.

 

[LivetoFollow]

I did some reading on dreams in my personality class last semester.

Some things you need to keep in mind in Freud's mind, and that is sexual innuendo.

Trains are penises, tunnels are vagina etc, etc.,

Jung had some more interpretative approaches compared to other psychoanalytic figures. I would go that route if the assignment is on Freudian psychology and not Freud himself.

Funniest thing I ever read about Freud and his dream theory was this: he was asked about what a cigar meant in dreams, and he responded sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[Souldriver]

There's a book called "Psychology for dummies", which also talks about Freud.


But basically Freud is about:
- childhood trauma's
- oedipus complex
- sexual desires



I'm not disregarding everything the guy has said. He's very important for showing that dreams can be analysed too, but the actual analyses are so ridiculous sometimes. I remember a case where he said that a woman was in love with her father and hated her mother because she was afraid of horses. The hell...

 

[GHG]

There's loads of material if you do a google search. Oh and you might not be interested in it now but you will be by the time you've finished.

 

[JonathanEx]

Oh god, he's crazy.

The basics behind his stuff his solid: the stages of 'psychosexual development' as he calls it matches what children's obsessions as that age seem to be, the concept of dream analysis and Freudian slips being things you say from your subconscious etc...

but how he takes that, it's basically everything is down to sexual trauma in your childhood, and the case study of Little Hans... the methodology was terrible, the analysis of it just came out from nowhere (you're scared of horses? well obviously that means you love your mother, and are scared of your father castrating you because of it. you saw a horse fell down? ah, obviously you want your father to be harmed so you can be with your mother).



Well, this is how I see it anyway, from what I've covered of his work in Psychology lessons... ah well, subjective and all that.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

Do lots of coke and then blame your dreams on your mom.

 

[Nemesis_]

There's loads of material if you do a google search. Oh and you might not be interested in it now but you will be by the time you've finished.

Well it's a choice between doing an essay on Freud or on Sartre.

I breezed through the one on Darwininan Theory (I chose him over Plato) and am now starting the second one, which is between the two guys mentioned above.

I'm reluctant to use anything outside of journal articles and books for this essay. THe uni frowns upon random websites that have no "educational merit" (Example = Wikipedia).

But yeah, thanks for the help so far guys.

 

[GHG]

Well it's a choice between doing an essay on Freud or on Sartre.

I breezed through the one on Darwininan Theory (I chose him over Plato) and am now starting the second one, which is between the two guys mentioned above.

I'm reluctant to use anything outside of journal articles and books for this essay. THe uni frowns upon random websites that have no "educational merit" (Example = Wikipedia).

But yeah, thanks for the help so far guys.

Yeh every university is like that. Use google book, its your best friend for internet research and last minute essays.

 

[Razkolnikov]

If the essay topic is Sigmund Freud's theory of the role of dreams then you should definitely focus on the stages of psychosexual development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital, etc), as mentioned above, but be sure to present them in reference to his models of the psyche. Freud conceived of a model based on a closed energy system, where impairment at any of the stages of development leads to fixation, whereas sufficient indulgence at every stage is the basis of proper personality development. Dreams would function as a window into the nature of the fixation, which also leads to things like the Oedipus complex in all of its manifestations. Also, if you're going to talk about Freud and dreams specifically, you should discuss his negative views of women, particularly in the role of female archetypes. Whichever route you take, you could easily write a 20 page essay on this topic in a matter of a day.

 

[Waikis]

If only rev. Kioku posts in this thread..

Basically Freud = PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS Oh God I am Drowing in Them PEINS PEINS PEINS

 

[Stinkles]

I'm surprised he's more than a historical figure these days. Lots of his research and theory has been debunked and dismissed.

 

[somuchwater]

I'm surprised he's more than a historical figure these days. Lots of his research and theory has been debunked and dismissed.

True, but a lot of it is still really useful. Start with Civilization and its Discontents for an example or, if you're really hardcore, read Lacan.

 

[fmcato]

It's because you want to have sex with your mother

Fixed.

 

[Learn2read]

I'm surprised he's more than a historical figure these days. Lots of his research and theory has been debunked and dismissed.

My impression (which is completely uninformed) is that while most of his stuff has been thoroughly debunked, he was one of the first to really look at psychology from a scientific angle, he gets credit because he was the originator of the field.

 

[mattiewheels]

I'm surprised he's more than a historical figure these days. Lots of his research and theory has been debunked and dismissed.

i think his theories work well with interpreting fiction/literary criticism, since it's all about interpreting subtext and subconscious motivations. but as a basis for treating patients, it's garbage.

 

[JonathanEx]

My impression (which is completely uninformed) is that while most of his stuff has been thoroughly debunked, he was one of the first to really look at psychology from a scientific angle, he gets credit because he was the originator of the field.

Not so much psychology from a scientific angle, he wasn't a psychologist, but yeah, he is the father of psychoanalytic therapy really. The sitting on a couch, bearded old man, the stereotype comes from him.

 

[Zaptruder]

Freud didn't know shit about real psychology.

But his stereotype persists.

 

[nny]

I'm surprised he's more than a historical figure these days. Lots of his research and theory has been debunked and dismissed.

It's like astrology, doesn't have any scientific basis, but it's appealing to many people. Freudian theories are very colourful, so irrespective of how connected to reality they are, they continue to attract and interest. He's also become somewhat of a symbol of what a therapist is, and is not easy to shed some stereotypes.

Well, you could say his therapy was brilliant from a financial point of view: making patients have (and pay for) many sessions for periods that could span for years, without ever doing anything truly therapeutic; in his practice, Freud

Spoiler

(or Fraud, if you will)

has never cured anyone.

 

[FromTheFuture]

Guy is insane.

 

[Zeed]

"Freud for Dummies"

I can summarize Freud in one sentence:

"Sex with your mom."

edit: It appears that I've been beaten. Several times.

 

[Okin]

I'm surprised he's more than a historical figure these days. Lots of his research and theory has been debunked and dismissed.

His theories have certainly been mostly dismissed, but many of the insights he had while crafting those theories were quite clever.

 

[speculawyer]

Freud was an interesting figure in that he popularized the study of the mind.

However, the vast majority of his work is complete unscientific psuedoscience that has been debunked for many years. His works are useful only as humorous references and cocktail parties.

Edit: I'm so happy to see that most people realize Freud is full of shit.

 

[Nemesis_]

However, the vast majority of his work is complete unscientific psuedoscience that has been debunked for many years. His works are useful only as humorous references and cocktail parties.

Pretty much how I think of it. Although some of this theories can kind of be applied to today (You often hear how some people end up with people who remind them of their parents etc.) but most of it indeed bullcrap.

 

[Worm_Buffet]

This board doesn't have a Freud Defence Force?

Anyone?