The Interpretation of Dreams

The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) originally published in German as Die Traumdeutung is considered Sigmund Freud’s masterpiece. According to Freud, dreams are manifestations of repressed desires, and have an underlying meaning. He suggests methods of interpreting dreams ̶ ‘imaginary wish fulfillments’ ̶ by exploring the process of dream formation in the absence of censorship, the role of the unconscious in this process, the distortions of subconscious desires in their transpositions in dreams, and more, through several case studies and his own dreams. He, thus, proposes the radical idea that the unconscious can be understood through an analysis of dreams.
In this seminal work, Freud also introduces the concept of ‘Oedipus Complex’, which was to become one of Freud’s most controversial ideas.
The Interpretation of Dreams was reprinted seven times during Freud’s lifetime, and has been the subject of much debate and speculation ever since.