Why did Sigmund Freud focus on dreams?

Answer by  lisztomania (19)

Freud studied dreams because he believed that they held the secret to unlocking the mind. He believed that dreams reflected a strong part of one's subconscious mind. Dream studies are not a significant part of psychoanalysis today, but they are an important staple in the history and evolution of psychoanalysis.

Answer by  TallMike2004 (30)

Freud focused on dreams because, in his pedagogical perspective, dreams were the only reliable way to get to the unconscious. Prior to Freud, it was assumed that the conscious mind was everything. Freud postulated that much of human action occurred in the subconscious or unconscious. Though his analysis of dreams has faltered, the non-conscious remains an important avenue of study.

Answer by  Zoe (2369)

Sigmund Freud believed that the dreams were the gateway to the subconscious and that in the subconscious we could separate a person's true desires from their socially programmed desires. Dream interpretation is still used in psychoanalysis though most therapists dismiss Freud's assumption that all dream images relate to sex.

Answer by  droplet82 (40)

He believed that dreams were the brains subconcious desires manifested and were therefore and acknowledgement of the true self. In a dream state all "social constructs" were lifted thereby giving the analist a better gauge og the patients true state of mind. In a dream a person can reveal there greatest fears and desires.