Projection
Projection: Attributing one's own feelings and thoughts to others. In dreams, others being angry at us, loving us, or judging us is often projective content.
Related Terms
Repression
A defense mechanism that pushes painful, unacceptable thoughts and memories into the unconscious. According to Freud, repressed content returns in dreams in symbolic disguises.
Shadow
In Jungian psychology, the rejected, repressed dark side of personality. Appears in dreams as enemies, monsters, or unknown dark figures. Confronting the shadow is the beginning of the path to wholeness.
Ego
In Freud's model, the conscious self that operates on the reality principle, balancing the id and superego. In dreams, the ego acts as a censor mechanism, masking unconscious content through symbols.
Compensation
According to Jung, dreams function to balance our conscious attitudes. An overly optimistic person may have dark dreams; a timid person may dream of courage.
Anima and Animus
According to Jung, the feminine archetype within men (Anima) and the masculine archetype within women (Animus). They appear in dreams as mysterious figures of the opposite sex, symbolizing the quest for inner balance.
Sigmund Freud
Pioneer of modern dream analysis. With 'The Interpretation of Dreams' (1900), he defined dreams as symbolic expressions of unconscious desires. Developed the free association method.