Ancient Quote by Sigmund Freud
“As everyone knows, the ancients before Aristotle did not consider the dream a product of the dreaming mind, but a divine inspiration, and in ancient times the two antagonistic streams, which one finds throughout in the estimates of dream life, were already noticeable. They distinguished between true and valuable dreams, sent to the dreamer to warn him or to foretell the future, and vain, fraudulent, and empty dreams, the object of which was to misguide or lead him to destruction.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud, 1900
Freud notes that ancient views saw dreams as divine messages, distinguishing valuable prophetic dreams from deceptive ones.
In simple terms: Ancients saw dreams as divine warnings or deceptions.
Key Takeaway
Consider both symbolic and deceptive aspects of dreams.
Themes
psychology
history
dreams
divine inspiration
interpretation
mythology
Mood
intrigued
analytical
curious
Type
theoretical
interpretive
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- literary analysis
- cultural studies
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
unconscious mind
symbolic meaning
cultural belief systems
Questions to Reflect On
- What role do cultural beliefs play in dream interpretation?
- How can we differentiate meaningful from misleading dreams?
A Different Perspective
Modern science may view dreams purely neurologically, overlooking symbolic value.
