PubMed · 13583260
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M ULLMAN. 1958. The dream process.. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1958.12.4.671
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Subversive redemption--the sense of overturning the conventional order of things in order to recover lost parts of the self--is a virtually neglected topic in psychoanalysis. With free association, Freud empowered patients to harness unconventional thoughts and feelings. Patients who engage in subversive redemption frequently have a strong sense of agency prompting them to open up in new ways in lieu of "playing it safe." When patients begin to express certain forbidden ideas, the boundaries of analysis are broadened, freeing the analytic pair to become fully authentic. Psychoanalysis provides patients with an arena to renew themselves as they risk "killing off" their status quo positions to achieve the paradox of living more dangerously in the safety of the analytic surrounds. Patients then feel more confident about undertaking the process of subversive redemption in the wider world.
The discovery of the close association between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and dreaming and development of sleep laboratory techniques ushered in a new era in the study of dreams. For the first time, direct and systematic investigation could be made of such topics as the occurrence, qualities, recollection, and childhood development of dreaming. Experimental methodologies permitted investigation of the responsiveness of dreams to external stimulation and the effects of deprivation of REM sleep. Much effort was devoted to searching for parallels between physiological aspects of REM sleep and characteristics of associated dreams, with modest results. The leading theory of dreaming in the early decades of this research was the psychoanalytic, which views dreams as highly meaningful reflections of unconscious mental functioning. With developments in understanding of the neurophysiology of REM sleep, new theories of dreaming were proposed. The most prominent, the activation-synthesis hypothesis, derived its view of dreaming directly from the neurophysiology of REM sleep, in particular the role of the brain stem, and in its original form regarded dreams as not essentially meaningful. Further developments in neurobiological research, including lesion and brain imaging studies, have established a clearer view of the functional neuroanatomy of REM sleep and dreaming. To what degree, and in what way, implications can be drawn from these findings for the psychology of dreaming is controversial. Some more recent theories of dreaming emphasize an adaptive function related to emotion and a role in learning and memory consolidation.
In this article, in an attempt to integrate recent findings with existing knowledge, we provide an overview of issues related to nightmares that could be useful as a guide to clinical work. After defining what should be considered as a nightmare, we look into the relationship of nightmares with issues such as normal development and maturation, as well as culture. Issues of stress and personality are then discussed in their relation to situational and chronic nightmares. State and trait factors are further elaborated on as we explore the relationship of nightmares and psychopathology. A brief review of organic and pharmacological causes of nightmares follows before we embark on a discussion of issues that relate nightmares to psychological trauma. Some final remarks on treatment conclude our review.