Defense Mechanisms and Dream Interpretation

Question 1
There is a direct link between the unconscious mind and the ego’s defense mechanisms because defense mechanisms “operate at the unconscious level,” (McLeod, 2009). In fact, it is the ego that is responsible for creating and maintaining defense mechanisms, to defend itself from perceived attacks or to maintain a perceived equilibrium. Typically, people remain unaware that they are using defense mechanisms to react to discomfort. Psychotherapy is in part designed to help a person become aware of their defense mechanisms and to learn how to cope better with stress and anxiety. Defense mechanisms might have originally been designed by the ego as ways to protect itself, but they can have the reverse effect of causing harm because they can evolve into problems like phobias or behavioral disorders.
Almost everyone uses defense mechanisms. One common one is denial. Denial is a defense mechanism that protects the ego from facing up to the truth about our own behaviors. Evident mainly in addictions, denial is the way the go justifies its behavior by pretending that a problem does not even exist or hiding the problem from other people so that the ego can continue to put up a “front” or a mask for others to preserve self-image.
A second common defense mechanism is projection. The cliche “the pot calling the kettle black” is the definition of projection. I have seen people accuse others of exactly the same type of behavior they themselves are guilty of. In this sense, projection is also a type of denial because the person is hiding from or disguising the truth. The reason why people use projection is to protect the ego from the realization that they are performing in unacceptable ways. For instance, if a person is judgmental but they also believe that being judgmental is bad, they might accuse someone else of being judgmental without acknowledging the irony in that they were the ones being judgmental all along.
References
McLeod, S. (2009). Defense mechanisms. Simply Psychology. Retrieved online: https://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.html
Question 2
Dreams are important psychological phenomena. Freud’s theory of dreams is only one of many; even the most advanced studies in neuroscience cannot fully explain why we dream, or the function of dreams. Therefore, Freud’s theory is as plausible as any other. The problem with Freud’s theory of dreams is that he attempted to interpret dream symbols as if they were universal. I believe that people’s cultural and personal backgrounds influence the substantive content of their dreams, and that there are few absolutely universal themes or symbols. Having said that, most people are wired similarly and have similar fears, hopes, and desires that manifest in their dreams.
Dream interpretation can be considered critical for total self-awareness and self-mastery because we spend a considerable number of hours each night in the dream state. Freud called dreams the “royal road to the unconscious,” (McLeod, 2013). Freud specifically believed dreams revealed our defense mechanisms, which might otherwise remain totally repressed. I also believe some dreams are simply evidence of the ways our brains work, synthesizing sensory stimuli or creating new information and ideas through the odd imagery and ideas that come to us in our dreams. Some dreams are indeed wish-fulfillment and other unconscious processes, as Freud suggested, and can be discussed with a therapist. Yet other dreams may be simply weird and whimsical. It is never a bad idea to spend the time to analyze or discuss dreams, or to keep a dream journal. Ignoring our dreams, we are apt to ignore what is going on deep in our subconscious or at the emotional level. However, there is no real systematic way of interpreting dreams in a reliable or scientific way as Freud postulated. Many dreams need to be interpreted more personally, by the individual dreamer who learns how to be in touch with their emotions better by paying attention to their dreams.

References

McLeod, S. (2013). Sigmund Freud. Simply Psychology. Retrieved online: https://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html