Interview on Dreams

How does an individual’s waking life affect his or her dream life? Explain.

“An individual's dreams might or might not be relevant to their waking life, depending on a number of factors.  If the dreams were a reflection of an obvious psychological problem, such as the intrusive dreams and recollections that follow a traumatic event (posttraumatic stress disorder), then clearly they could have a very significant impact on the person's daily functioning.  However the "usual dreams" that most of us experience I think are less likely to have any real relevance for daily activities and abilities.”

Do people always dream about things that have happened to them? Explain.

I think that this is variable, but in general the impact of our daily activities on dreams is substantial.  I think we often dream about things that happen to us or that we have been concerned or worried about and then get manifested in some sort of "dream material".  Sometimes it's very obvious such as being worried about passing a particular test and then having a frightening dream about failing it.

Do you find dreams fascinating? Explain.

I think most everyone finds dreams to be quite fascinating, since it is a somewhat universal experience.  As a psychologist, I see dreams as an additional extension of an individual's thoughts and feelings put on display in what at times is a rather bizarre and unusual juxtaposition of images, feelings, unconscious emotions, and daily life experiences.  The very idea that they can be "subject to interpretation" is particularly intriguing, although I think of questionable scientific validity.

Do you feel that dreams can be interpreted? Explain.

Within the "Gestalt" model (Fritz Pearls) it's my understanding that every element of the dream represents a different dimension of a person's personality, feelings or unconscious needs.  I actually had a patient many years ago where we used her very frightening dream to help her understand the anger and loss related...