ABSTRACT
In this very rich, wide-ranging section, Silberer surveys a number of topics that ground his theoretical position. For example, he posits that the autosymbolic process of the hypnagogic is in fact applicable also to dreaming, an expansion of his earlier position. He observes that dreams typically contain a “positive” factor seeking expression, and a “negative” factor inhibiting it. He credits Freud for his wish fulfillment theory, but is clear to note that dreams do not emanate exclusively from this single source. He digresses into a discussion of what he calls “dreams of intention” as well as “dreams of convenience”, offering interesting examples of each. He intimates a dream source that is “humankind itself” — sounding very much like Jung’s “collective unconscious” — and offers an example of the phenomenon. He also unwaveringly asserts that dreams are typically instigated by a “hochwertig” (i.e. high value, high quality) factor, and oftentimes contain a number of such factors intertwined. This multilayered theoretical perspective of Silberer on dreams clearly veered from Freudian orthodoxy, and probably contributed to much of this chapter not making into the 1955 translation.
