ABSTRACT
Many people think of metaphor as a linguistic device, used by writers and poets, in which one thing is described in terms of another. Good metaphor needs us to have familiarity with the elements of the metaphor – otherwise it may sound capricious or crazy. Metaphor is one way the mindbrain connects and transforms different ideas, casting one into the shape of the other. Metaphor allows us to see how the dreaming mindbrain can portray one issue in terms of another. Individual elements of a dream can portray ideas metaphorically. In the history of psychoanalytic dream interpretation, six primary metaphors have been prominent in interpreting dreams: metaphor of the body; metaphor of the mindbrain; metaphor of sex; metaphor of emotion; metaphor of the dreamer's situation in life; and metaphor of an interpersonal relationship. A dream can be a metaphor of an intensely personal relationship, such as a romantic relationship or a psychotherapeutic relationship.
