Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 1.djvu/120

 1 12 COLLECTIVE REV I EWS

of which he gives a series of hiphly entertniniiifj examples (23, S. 278-80).

In regard to the use of symbolic interpretations in dream ana- lysis Freud warns us against overvaluing their practical significance and neglecting on that account the [netliod of "free association" to which the priority belongs both in theory and practice, while the translation" of symbols only enters as an auxiliary. Thus a combined technique is forced on us, "on the one hand relying on the associations made by the dreamer, and on the other, supple- menting from the analyst's knowledge of symbolism what is wanting" (23, S. 240).

Closely related to symbolism is the theme of typical dreams with the interpretation of which the dreamer's ideas are generally directly at variance. Among these Freud now sharply distinguishes two classes (23, S. 262): those that actually have the same meaning each time, and those which in spite of an identical or .similar content nevertheless will be subject to very various interpretations, because the same (typical) thoughts and imaginings, represent in dream-making greatly differing uncon.scious wishes.

Insufficient attention to this important distinction between the latent dream thoughts and the unconscious dream-images seems to represent the second and existing phase of the understanding of the dream on the part of the scientific world, now that the first phase of confusion of tlic manifest and latent dream-content may be considered as partially disposed of.

"After so long identifying the dream witlt its manifest content, the danger to be avoided now is that of conl'u.sing the dream with the latent dream thoughts" (23, S. 430 Note).

"'Dream' is the name to be reserved for the result of the dream-making, that is to say then the fonti in which the latent thoughts are transmitted in the process of dream-making" (21, S. 201).

Like most misunderstandings of psycho-analytic views this con- fusion of the latent thought with the dream has been adopted as an un- conscious resistance by superficial analy.sts. After Adlcr's(l) pronoun- cement on the premonitory function of the dream, Macder (55) set up a "fonction ludique" of the dream without noticing that all these "prospec- tive tendencies" are functions of the preconscious waking thought »

' As is set out in a particularly instructive article of Dr. Varcndonck of Ghent, shortly to be published.