Alfred Adler's Perspective on Dreams and Individual Psychology

Alfred Adler (1870–1937) was an Austrian psychiatrist who developed the theory of individual psychology. Once closely associated with Sigmund Freud, Adler eventually broke away to establish his own form of psychotherapy. Unlike Freud, Adler placed far less emphasis on dreams, and his views on them were somewhat inconsistent. Despite this, his ideas about dreams have significantly influenced later dream theories.

Freud vs. Adler: A Simplified Comparison

To oversimplify the differences, Freud focused on sex and aggression, while Adler emphasized power and status. Adler believed much of human motivation stems from childhood, a period during which we feel powerless to control our lives. In response to this feeling of helplessness, according to Adler, individuals develop a strong desire to master their world. This desire for control and mastery becomes a central drive in life.

Adler's Unique View on Dreams

For Adler, dreams carried a different meaning than they did for Freud. Freud saw dreams as arenas where inner tensions, often rooted in infantile conflicts, could be safely discharged. This made Freud's dream theory past-oriented. On the other hand, Adler viewed dreams as a way for individuals to anticipate future situations and imaginatively prepare for them. While dreams were meant to help the dreamer gain control over their world, Adler acknowledged that many dreams could be maladaptive, potentially leading to actions that hinder one's goal of mastery.

The Future Orientation of Adler's Dream Theory

Adler’s perspective on dreams stands in stark contrast to Freud’s. While Freud viewed dreams as mechanisms for releasing past tensions hidden in the unconscious, Adler believed that dreams function to anticipate the future. Additionally, Adler’s theory suggests that dreams are more closely related to waking thoughts and motivations, whereas Freud emphasized the separation between waking and dreaming states.

Influence on Modern Therapies

Adler’s ideas, especially as further developed by later theorists, have had a significant impact on contemporary therapists, offering a new way to understand the function of dreams in relation to one’s aspirations for control and mastery over their environment.

See Also: individual psychology, future-oriented dreams, waking motivations, therapy.