Re: "Your Dreams Tell You Who You Are"

11/11/18

To the Editor:

It came as a surprise to me to read that 'conventional wisdom' supports the idea that dreams are 'silly little stories, the dandruff of the brain' that should be ignored and not reflected upon (Alice Robb, Your dreams tell you who you are, 11.11.18).  While it is true that some neuroscientists adopted an antagonist view to the idea that dreams were meaningful and motivated, I do not believe this was ever a conventional or wise perspective.  It not only defied common sense for those who reflected upon their dreams; it begged the question as to the evolutionary adaptive value of dreams.

Sigmund Freud famously said that dreams were the royal road to the unconscious.  Our dreams, whether they become conscious or not, literally and metaphorically help guide us into the future.  Many patients in psychotherapy or psychoanalysis find their lives and self-understanding enriched by reflecting upon the meaning, including the hidden meaning, of their dreams. Often times, this involves uncomfortable truths that one prefers not to confront making the therapist an important partner or vehicle in its exploration.

Respectfully submitted,

Larry S. Sandberg MD