Abigail had a dream in which she was riding a unicycle toward mountains that reached all the way to the sky and disappeared into clouds shaped like toadstools. Abigail is convinced the dream represents an unconscious desire to quit her current job. According to Freud, the unicycle and toadstool-shaped clouds would represent
A) the latent content of Abigail's dream.
B) an interpretation of random neural activity in lower brain centers.
C) the manifest content of Abigail's dream.
D) an attempt to work through problems she is currently experiencing in her life.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The manifest content of a dream according to Freud is the apparent storyline of the dream, which in this case includes Abigail riding a unicycle toward mountains and toadstool-shaped clouds. The latent content, on the other hand, represents the symbolic meaning of the dream, which Freud believed reflects hidden desires, emotions, and conflicts. Option A is incorrect because it refers to the latent content, not the manifest content. Option B is incorrect because it suggests random neural activity, a perspective that Freud would not support. Option D is not relevant to the question, as it does not provide an interpretation of the dream imagery.

Abigail Had a Dream in Which She Was Riding a Unicycle