Central to Sigmund Freud’s philosophy on psychoanalysis is the idea that dreams give a window into one’s unconscious desires. This is the principal argument of his groundbreaking work “The Interpretation of Dreams”, published in 1899. However, realizing the incredibly technical and dense nature of that more detailed work, Freud felt that a simpler and more accessible derivation of his theories was necessary in order to popularize his ideas and to make them more understandable to the average person. “On Dreams”, published in 1901 and translated into English in 1914, is the result of that endeavor and it is executed with masterful effect. “On Dreams” is a straightforward and simplified explanation of Freud’s theories on dreams and their meanings, such as condensation, dramatization, displacement, repression, the three classes of dreams, and how dreams are affected by the events of the previous day. “On Dreams” serves as a great place to start for those who wish to learn more about the meanings of their own dreams, as well as how Freud’s influential and important ideas helped to form the field of psychoanalysis.
