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Jung and Freud Essay Dreams had been the subject of numerous works from famous psychology theorists Sigmund Freud and Carl G. Jung, although the two giants had divergent views. Freud, in accordance with his psychoanalytic tradition, believed that dreams and their imagery have specific psychological significance for the dreamer (Bower, 1986). As far back as 1899, in Freuds The Interpretation of Dreams, he declared that dream interpretation is the road to knowing the unconscious activities of ones mind (Price, 1986). Freud emphasized that dreams are associated with a person’s subconsciously repressed thoughts. On the other hand, Jung believes that recurring dreams suggest psychoanalytical conflict. Recent studies building upon Jungs theory noted that recurrent dreamers registered marked elevations in depression and anxiety, thereby lending proof to the theory of Jung that recurrent dreams mean psychoanalytical conflict (Bower, 1986). However, compared to Freud, Jung did not believe that dreams are attempts at repression; instead he believed that dreams are means by which the personal unconscious can be understood. Personally, I am inclined to believe the account of Jung on dreams and their interpretation. It is easier to view dreams as manifestations of inner conflict, rather than attempts at repression. Indeed, the conscious mind is inactive while people are in sleep, and it is at this time that anxiety and depression could actually rise to the surface. I believe the mind processes a lot of information, whether it is awake or not. Thus, the mind would naturally attempt to process, involuntarily, the things that are most bothersome when it has less control. Thus, dreams are better interpreted as the mind’s way of sorting things out. For example, I observed that I often dream about my family when there is tension in my home. I would dream of both happy and sad moments. These dreams I consider to be calls of my subconscious to address my family issues and resolve them. I believe these dreams recur because the conflict within my family brings me anxiety, which I bring in my sleep. References Bower, B. (1986). Recurrent Dreams: Clues to Conflict. Science News 129(13), 197. Price, S. R. F. (1986). The Future of Dreams: From Freud to Artemidorus. Past and Present 113, 3-37. Willbern, D. (1979). Freud and the Inter-Penetration of Dreams. Diacritics 9(1 The Tropology of Freud), 97-110.