One of the most significant ways in which to attempt to uncover the motives which define an individual's personality is to consider the unconscious metal processes of that person's mind. This practice, known as "Depth Psychology," is a modern psychological school of thought based largely on the studies of Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung. Although Jung's method of studying the unconscious mind, known as analytical psychology, was originally derived from Freud's process of psychoanalysis, disagreement and conflicting views on a number of issues soon arose, severing the friendship they once had. One major matter on which Freud and Jung did not see eye-to-eye was their interpretation of the meaning of dreams.
The objective of this paper is to provide an in-depth analysis of both Freud's and Jung's similar, yet differing, views of unconscious dreams in relation to personality and to compare and contrast the interpretations and methods held by each man. By the end of the paper, it will have become clear that, despite the comparable differences in the views of these two great men's perceptions of dream interpretation, both theories aid each other in their joint ongoing quest to define personality and the human awareness of self and meaning. Through their distinct methods, both psychoanalysis and analytical psychology seek a meaningful connection between body, psyche, and personality as a whole, regardless of the fact that Freud and Jung approached some of the same issues (i.e. dream interpretation) from somewhat contrasting standpoints.
Having originally subscribed to the same school of thought, both Freud and Jung share similar views of dream interpretation, in that, both men recognize the importance of dreams in therapy and base their studies on the basic principle that dreams reflect personal conflicts (internal, as well as external). Their experimental methods of gaining insight into the meaning of dreams are also similar as evidenced by both men's extensive work on analyzing the subconscious desires and associations contained within their patients" dreams.
