According to Freud, the latent content of a dream refers to the hidden, unconscious desires and wishes that are disguised and represented symbolically in the dream. It is contrasted with the manifest content, which is the actual events and elements that are experienced in the dream. Freud believed that by analyzing the latent content of dreams, one could gain insight into a person's unconscious thoughts and motivations.

Freud used techniques such as free association and dream analysis to uncover the latent content of his patients' dreams. By encouraging patients to share unfiltered thoughts and feelings related to their dreams, Freud believed he could reveal hidden meanings and unconscious desires.

According to Sigmund Freud's dream theory, the latent content is the underlying, true meaning of the dream that the manifest content (the images experienced in the dream) symbolize and point toward. For example, the dreamer might be standing naked in front of a crowded courtroom. That is the manifest content. When interpreted, the underlying meaning is that the dreamer feels exposed, as if every fault and imperfection is being judged and condemned. That is the latent content of the dream.

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You can understand your dream by reflecting on your thoughts during the day.