Manifest content

The question refers to Freud's theory of dreams. The manifest content is the surface or visible meaning while the latent content would be the secret or hidden meaning. For example, in a dream about threading a needle, the manifest content would be sewing, perhaps reflecting the dreamer's work as a tailor. The latent content (particularly for Freud) would be a sexual urge with the thread and eye of the needle representing male and female sex organs.

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.

Manifest content refers to the actual events or elements that occur in a dream, while latent content refers to the hidden psychological meaning or symbolism behind these events. Manifest content is what is consciously experienced during a dream, while latent content is the unconscious desires, fears, or emotions that are expressed symbolically. Freud believed that analyzing the latent content of dreams could uncover important insights into a person's psyche.

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.