Freud's dream theory had many detractors. The patients that Freud tested his hypothesis on are a major criticism. Since Freud tended to only work with rich, white Austrians, that demographic is the base of Freud's research. Rich, white Austrians are not a proper representation of the world's populations. Thus, it can be argued that the theory does not apply to everyone. Freud's other theories also detract from his dream theory. Some of Freud's theories are considered incredibly far fetched. In Freud's theory of development, he hypothesized that humans go through three stages: the oral stage, the anal stage, and the phallic stage. In the oral stage, everything revolves around the mouth. Babies inspect things by sticking them into their mouths. In the anal stage, whether, or not, a person tightens their rectum while going to the bathroom can determine what kind of person they will be. In the phallic stage, a person's main motivation is to have sex and appease their inner sexual desires.
Statue of Sigmund Freud in London, with the Tavist...
Sigmund Freud Quote
Sigmund FreudWhile I am a big fan of Freudian theory, I find this theory incredibly far fetched, and I can easily see why Freud's critics can attack his work. However, Freud's theories must be judged on an individual basis. Just because a few of his theories are outlandish does not mean that all of them are. Freud did extensive research on all facets of human behavior, and it is expected that not all of his theories will be correct. You cannot judge the dream theory by another theory.
Many of Freud's detractors believe that Freud's dream theory is based solely on his own personal problems, and not his patients. This shows that he is unscientific Though this statement is true, there is a reason behind it. Freud's initial interest in psychotherapy came from his studying...