Sigmund Freud believed the snake is tied to our sexual energies
Although Jung’s and Freud’s approaches to dreams are very different, they have both contributed significantly to our current understanding of the nocturnal mind. According to Freud, our dreams are the unconscious mind’s attempt to make sense of our daily experiences. Symbols in our dreams might shed light on our hidden anxieties and yearnings. However, Jung argues that all humans tap into a common wellspring of wisdom and experience known as the collective unconscious. According to Jung, our dreams contain a wealth of information that might help us better understand the world. Because of Freud’s and Jung’s beliefs on dreams, we have a better grasp on the significance of lucid dreaming, and I’m here to help you decipher its meaning.
Was wondering if someone could sum up what Jung and Freud had to say concerning the subject of dreams
In the beginning, Sigmund Freud (the well-known dream psychologist) served as Jung’s mentor, and Freud later expanded upon Jung’s theories. I’ll explain what two renowned dream psychologists thought caused snake dreams so you can make sense of them. However, Jung later created his own theories that were considerably different from Freud’s. These two thinkers have opposing perspectives on the dreams of snakes. Freud had a habit of giving concrete interpretations to numerous dream symbols, and many of these interpretations had a sexual overtone to them since, in his view, everything is connected to some aspect of our need or passion. However, Jung recognised that many symbols had significance only to the dreamer, and this is where they diverged.
In the same vein, Jung rejected Freud’s view that dreams always represented subtextual sexual tensions. While Freud viewed the unconscious as merely a repository for our inner concepts, Jung viewed it as an unexplained dumping ground for our suppressed thoughts. Jung thought deeply on dreams and suggested us think about them until we understand them. Therefore, Jung basically found that many sad or troubled individuals weren’t communicating with their unconscious. According to Jung, dismissing warnings from the subconscious might have dire consequences.
It was recommended that dreamers use a holistic approach rather than focusing on any one dream in particular. Also, Jung thought that a recurring motif in one’s dreams could be a sign of anything significant happening in one’s life. They both felt that our dreams were founded on the notion that archetypes are universally shared patterns of mind. This patterning originates in what he dubbed “the collective subconscious,” which he saw as a global, ancestral mentality. These archetypes represent shared human experiences. In this ideal world, for instance, everyone would have a common understanding of what it means to be a mother. So, the mother serves as a paradigmatic illustration. Inanimate things, like the sun or a body of water, can also embody archetypal concepts.
Feud discovered the link between one’s dreams and their unconscious mind. Many of Freud’s clients experienced recurring dreams that were rather scary in character, and Freud believed that every dream had meaning. According to Freud, having a dream about snakes has something to do with our sexual drive. The snake, according to his definition, is a “phallic symbol” associated with significant males in one’s life. It’s been linked to the “male reproductive organ” and the way men are naturally drawn to women.
If you dreamed of a snake, what did Freud think of that?
As a symbol of the male reproductive system, snakes in dreams are often interpreted literally. Sigmund Freud linked snakes in dreams to the phallus, or the male reproductive organ. He theorized that dreams about snakes revealed a subconscious masculine fear of metamorphosis and were linked to a desire to feel sexually powerful. Sigmund Freud is commonly credited with popularizing the field of psychoanalysis and is known for his insightful works on the psychological significance of dreams. According to Freud, there are three parts to a person’s personality: the id, the ego, and the superego. These are models for how our minds work. When asked about his patients’ fears of snakes, Freud famously said, “Sometimes a cigar is simply a cigar.” Since the snake represents a strong male tie between itself and a female, and since it implies thoughts of “sexual power” in a dream, Freud considered it the most significant symbol for men.
According to Freud, the snake is the most significant symbol for men because it represents the strength of the male’s link with the female and the arousal of feelings of “sexual power” in the dream state, both of which are indicative of the possibility of the dreamer’s ability to father children.
McConnell, a psychologist, disagreed with Freud’s thesis that the snake dream represents repressed masculine desire because he considered that Freud’s analysis was biassed toward sex because of the religious connotations (Christianity) and the immoral nature of the snake. Simply put, this was an anti-Freudian stance. To my knowledge, Freud never actually mentions the penis as a snake symbol in any of his publications. In his introductory lectures (Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis, SEXV page 155) he discussed the prevalence of snakes, reptiles, and fish as sexual symbols for men. So far as I can tell, this is the closest Freud came to establishing a sexual connotation for the snake.
As a doctor, Freud benefited from his patients’ knowledge of dream interpretation. His patients frequently reported having disturbing nightmares and experiencing other mental health difficulties. Anna O. is the name of a specific patient. Anna dreamed that a snake was trying to bite her. When she examined her hands, her fingers appeared to be coiled like snakes. Anna had a recurring nightmare in which snakes bit her father, and according to Freud’s writings, we now know that her father was genuinely in very terrible health. Anna said that the dream ended with the snake disappearing.How, then, do everyday symbols mirror those seen in dreams? Freud rejected the contextual approach to dream interpretation in favor of the idea that our dreams reflect our deepest desires, such as the ability to relive past events. It’s not out of the question that Anna, one of his patients, thinks the snake bit her dad and killed him. Because of his terrible health, Anna’s family speculated that she secretly wished for his death. The snake bite was a possible means of putting him rid of his suffering. This lends credence to the theory that the snake in a dream represents the male reproductive system.
Carl Jung, what do you have to say about snakes in your dreams?
The renowned psychologist Carl Jung is also an authority on deciphering the hidden meanings in one’s dreams. In his view, humans have a triune mentality (the ego, the personal unconscious, and finally the collective unconscious) The serpent, unexpectedly, played a significant role in his “spiritual” awakening. As a religious symbol, the serpent represented Christ to him.Based on his research, Jung concluded that serpents can make an appearance in dreams and waking life in a variety of ways. There is no indication in any of his works that he agreed with Freud’s reading of the snake as a phallic symbol.
According to Jung, the snake represents the unconscious part of our brain. Research into the human brain has led scientists to conclude that there is a reptilian-like neural stem. In his readings, the serpent was a symbol of wisdom and health.This is credible, and the serpent is shown on the medical profession’s emblematic staff of Asclepius. Dreams about snakes can have a wide variety of meanings, and Jung notes in his book that they have a connection to Christ. Like Freud before him, Jung sought meaning in his patients’ dreams.One story tells of a priest who dreamed he was in a museum and saw a stuffed snake come to life. He thought that dreams were in harmony with our instincts and spirits, and that the dream of a snake represented our conscious mind. Using his own paradigm, Jung postulated that psychic phenomena might be broken down into two categories. The innate and ethereal aspects. Based on his understanding, the snake emblem represents both. The importance of instinct in daily life can be seen in the way a snake moves, for instance. If the snake was suspended in the air, it was probably a dream and not an actual occurrence.
