History and Biographies The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud History and Significance By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial process Kendra Cherry Fact checked by Fact checked by Emily Swaim on April 07, 2020 linkedin Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology content. Learn about our editorial process Emily Swaim Updated on April 07, 2020 Print Hulton Archive/Getty Images If you are interested in Sigmund Freud or dream interpretation, this is a must-have text for your collection. As one of Freud's earliest books, the theories, ideas, and case studies described within The Interpretation of Dreams helped set the stage for psychoanalytic theory. Why The Interpretation of Dreams Is Important The Interpretation of Dreams is the classic text on dream analysis and interpretation. Freud introduces many key concepts that would later become central to the theory of psychoanalysis. The book also emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind, which is one of the underlying principles of Freudian psychology. Pros and Cons Pros The classic text on the subject Freud's writing is engaging and intriguing Case studies allow a look at his psychoanalytic work Cons Research lacks scientific rigor Many ideas not substantiated by current research Theories haven't fared well over time The History Behind the Book When Freud famously started analyzing himself, he used his dreams quite frequently in the process. Always a vivid dreamer, Freud had by this time also noticed the impact of dreams on his patients, including psychotic patients whose hallucinations were similar to dreams. Between his own experience and that of his patients, he concluded that dreams are almost always expressions of unfulfilled wishes. Believing sincerely in the importance of dreams and realizing no one had written much, if anything, about the subject, Freud spent two years writing The Interpretation of Dreams. Originally published in German under the title Die Traumdeutung in 1900, initial sales of the book were slow and disappointing and largely ignored by the scientific community. By 1910, Freud's other work was becoming well-known, and so the book became more popular. It was translated into English and Russian in 1913 and six more languages by 1938. Seven more editions were also printed during his lifetime. Historical Significance Freud was an incredibly prolific writer, publishing more than 320 different books, articles, and essays. Out of this impressive body of work, Freud described The Interpretation of Dreams as his personal favorite as well as his most significant contribution to the understanding of human thought. "[It] contains… the most valuable of all the discoveries it has been my good fortune to make. Insight such as this falls to one's lot but once in a lifetime," he explained. The Interpretation of Dreams stands as a unique and classic work in the history of psychology. No matter what you may think of Sigmund Freud’s psychological theories, the cultural impact and historical importance of this book are without question. For those interested in dream research, this book serves as an excellent introduction to many of Freud's major ideas. The book outlines his belief that dreams are highly symbolic, containing both overt meanings, called manifest content, and underlying, unconscious thoughts, known as latent content. Dreams, he suggested, are our unconscious wishes in disguise. Despite Freud’s tendency to over-generalize, his lack of scientific evidence, his overemphasis on sex, and his frequently chauvinistic viewpoints, this seminal work remains important in the history of psychology. The Interpretation of Dreams marked the beginning of psychoanalysis and is a fascinating text revealing Freud’s unique talent as a writer and ambitious theorist. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Dallas Baptist University. Freud. Bibliography (full). Grubin D. Young Dr. Freud. Public Broadcasting Service. Published 2002. Zhang W, Guo B. Freud's dream interpretation: A different perspective based on the self-organization theory of dreaming. Front Psychol. 2018;9. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01553 Additional Reading Freud Museum London. The Interpretation of Dreams: A guide to Sigmund Freud's theory of dreams and his method for dream interpretation. Public Broadcasting System. People and discoveries: Freud's book, The Interpretation of Dreams, released 1900.