Dreams as an Unappreciated Therapeutic Avenue for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists

Abstract

Modern neurobiological findings demonstrate that the theaory at the heart of psychoanalysis is not viable; indeed, modern neurobiology argues that dreams are nothing more than “noise” created by the brain during the process of neuronal activation and suppression. Modern thinking, therefore, calls into question the utility of any dream theory that rests on psychoanalytic principles. Cognitive-behavior therapists can nonetheless build on contemporary neurobiological theories of dreams in their clinical work. This article argues that, while the dreaming process itself lies outside of the range of cognitive-behavior therapy, the dreamer’s recall and interpretation of the dream occurs in the normal waking state. The individual’s reported memories of the dream are therefore subject to the same cognitive distortions apparent in other dimensions of their cognitive lives.