claims that our dreams are never random, but are created by things we have repressed within our mind.

Furthermore, the transformation of latent dream-thoughts into manifest dream-content is important because it is the change to a mode of expression we can understand. Freud says that in order to get from latent to manifest content a process called dream-work is needed. “It follows that the dream-work is not creative, that it develops no phantasies of its own, that it makes no judgements and draws no conclusions; it has no functions whatever other than condensation and displacement of the material and its modification to pictorial form.” (162) This quote represents the role that dream-work plays in interpreting dreams. He stresses that it should only analyze what the dreamer remembers and help move from the latent content to the manifest content.

In contrast, moving from the manifest content to the latent content is much more difficult, requiring the use of psychoanalysis. Because the latent content is often hidden in dreams and hard to recall, it can only be made known through psychoanalysis conducted by a therapist. The therapist will try and bring out the latent content by listening to the patient’s description of their dream. The therapist has to be extremely disciplined to avoid planting seeds within the patient. The process can involve trying to bring about repressed thoughts and having the patient write down their dreams so they can be better analyzed. Freud viewed psychoanalysis as a great way of discerning the latent content of a dream, and essential for moving from manifest content to latent content.

Another major aspect of the nature of dreams, are the three types of dreams identified by Freud. Intelligible dreams can easily be understood and fit in with the context of our mental life. The second type is bewildering dreams, which can be recounted but do not relate to your life. Finally, the third type is confused, disconnected, and meaningless, which is the most common type of dream and have the strongest manifest and latent content. “The contrast between the manifest and latent content of dreams is clearly of significance only for dreams of the second and more particularly the third category.” (149) He states that because we do not fully understand the second or third type of dream, psychoanalysis must be used to reveal the latent content. Thus, these different types of dreams play a role in determining the nature of our dreams in terms of how they relate to manifest and latent content.