[Perna]

Dr. Clay wrote:

"Some insight is possible, but there is a risk that one will attribute more significance to his/her dreams than they warrant. Remember, it is possible that the dream images are rather meaningless neuronal brain activity. This was discussed in the "general idea" section. Besides the dream context being of dubious significance, other disadvantages are the time involved, the long delay of most benefits, the uncertain effectiveness of the "dream analysis" work, and perhaps the psychological stress involved. Being upset by the dreams or their implications are the only known dangers." -- Chapter 15?

Slightly biased against dream analysis :-) How can one attribute more significance than is warranted? Isn't that up to the dreamer, both the significance and the warranting and able to tell others something about the dreamer? Too, I would think it could be a literal danger if you attribute more significance than is warranted, give a flying saucer concrete existence, for example, and act on it or think someone else is going to be on an accident and don't let them "go" wherever or respond for themselves?

But I don't believe our selves do anything consciously differently than we do unconsciously; like hypnotism and daydreams, we're not going to suddenly believe in flying saucers if we weren't likely to beforehand or think we can know the future if we didn't think that before. I think dreams "clarify" things about ourselves. I don't think there is such thing as "meaningless" neuronal brain activity as I don't think my brain/self does anything "meaningless." A cigar is sometimes just a cigar but that, in itself, is meaninful. Freud did die of his mouth cancer and if he'd "seen" the cigar in dreams or otherwise and had attributed significance to it, might have helped himself?

Last night I dreamed of my therapist again, whom I haven't seen for a year and a half, second time this week. How meaningless/random can that be for me? I was trying to please her and enthusiastic about my chances for doing so.

[(JD)]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
How can one attribute more significance than is warranted?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> Yes, it is up to the dreamer, however, sometimes a dream is just a dream and has no real significance.

The brain uses the time and activity to file things, perhaps, and the mishmash dream might be a result..?

I know that when I find a distressing dream and work to figure out what it "meant" and can't, then I chalk it up to nothing... just the brain and quirks... because if it really meant something, I would know it!!! This way of allowing some things to just be is good too, rather than distress over a negative dream, imo.

I think Dreams are a good framework to which to hang things on, so if we want them to mean something then they will. Sometimes I get the feeling I'm hanging onto the wrong part of the dream? concentrating on the events rather than the feelings being raised in the dream. So yes I can waste a lot of time trying to work the plot out but the dream is never a waste.