‘Conservative symbolism’ in Erich Fromm’s theory of dreams

Abstract

This article analyses attitudes relevant to dream interpretation according to Fromm. The central element is understanding the image of a dream as a symbol common to both the realm of dreams and culture in general. The key mechanism of symbol formation is cultural- associative, which is a function of human rational thinking. It is suggested that images of dreams should be interpreted from this perspective.

Keywords

• psychology
• dream interpretation
• symbolism
• culture
• freud
• fromm
• unconscious
• psychoanalysis