---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But since the downfall of the…"
description: "\"“But since the downfall of the mythological hypothesis an interpretation of the dream has been wanting. The conditions of its origin; its relationship ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/sigmund-freud-360_dream_but-since-the-downfall-of-the-mythologic_1330950.jpg"
---

#  But since the downfall of the mythological hypothesis an…

![“But since the downfall of the mythological hypothesis an interpretation of the dream has been wanting. The conditions of its origin; its relationship to our psychical life when we are awake; its independence of disturbances which, during the state of sleep, seem to compel notice; its many…” quote by Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/sigmund-freud-360_dream_but-since-the-downfall-of-the-mythologic_1330950.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/sigmund-freud-360_dream_but-since-the-downfall-of-the-mythologic_1330950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/sigmund-freud-360_dream_but-since-the-downfall-of-the-mythologic_1330950.jpg)

> ““But since the downfall of the mythological hypothesis an interpretation of the dream has been wanting. The conditions of its origin; its relationship to our psychical life when we are awake; its independence of disturbances which, during the state of sleep, seem to compel notice; its many peculiarities repugnant to our waking thought; the incongruence between its images and the feelings they engender; then the dream's evanescence, the way in which, on awakening, our thoughts thrust it aside as something bizarre, and our reminiscences mutilating or rejecting it—all these and many other problems have for many hundred years demanded answers which up till now could never have been satisfactory. Before all there is the question as to the meaning of the dream, a question which is in itself double-sided. There is, firstly, the psychical significance of the dream, its position with regard to the psychical processes, as to a possible biological function; secondly, has the dream a meaning—can sense be made of each single dream as of other mental syntheses?””

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Freud argues that dreams pose complex, unresolved questions about their origin, psychological role, and meaning, which have long eluded satisfactory explanation.

**In simple terms:** Dreams are puzzling and hard to explain.

Key Takeaway

Explore both psychological and biological aspects of dreams.

Themes

psychology dreams science history

Mood

intrigued thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical academic

When to use this quote

- clinical therapy
- sleep research
- creative writing
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

psychoanalysis cognitive function symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence could clarify the biological purpose of dreams?
- How do personal experiences shape dream content?

A Different Perspective

Dream interpretation remains speculative without empirical consensus.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-question-4465665/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Interpretation Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation-dream-1514089/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Psychical Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychical-significance-4465664/) [Significance Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance-dream-4465663/) [Waking Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waking-thought-3015332/)

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> [Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/dreams-are-often-most-profound-when-they-seem-the-most-crazy/)

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> [It seems to be my fate to discover only the obvious: that children have sexual feelings, which every nurse maid knows; and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/it-seems-to-be-my-fate-to-discover-only-the-obvious-that-children/)

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> [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/)

[Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/)

## More by Sigmund Freud

> [Anatomy is destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/anatomy-is-destiny/)

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[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

[Explore all 608 Sigmund Freud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

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> [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/)

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