The relevance of typical themes for dream interpretation

Abstract

Many studies have demonstrated not only the prevalence of typical dreams but also their frequency in dream content. Therefore, it is not possible to distinguish typical dreams from non-typical dreams, as various typical themes are present in most dreams. These contents are a fundamental component in the construction of dream narratives: typical themes are universal metaphors. Dreams are fictional stories, essentially consisting of a problem and an attempt to solve it, in relation to the dreamer’s emotional concerns. In this article, the interpretation of a dream by Dora, a young patient of Freud, is proposed as an example, comparing Freud’s method of interpretation, based on associations and symbolism, with a metaphorical interpretation of typical themes.