Every Dream Is a Discourse: Lacan, Jung, and the Linguistic Nature of Unconscious Dreamscapes (original) (raw)

In this essay, I compare the psychoanalytic approaches to dream interpretation taken by Lacan and Jung, respectively. I begin by introducing the point that Lacan and Jung may have more to say to one another than most realize. Section I discusses Lacan’s contention that the unconscious is structured like a language. Specifically, I begin by providing a detailed account of the traumatic events surrounding the birth of the unconscious as Lacan appears to understand it, paying close attention throughout to Freud’s influence on his theory; after presenting the appropriate context, I proceed to explore the linguistic elements of the unconscious as they operate in dreams. In Part II, I consider Jung’s theory of the unconscious and pay close attention to the creative and teleological aspects of archetypes as it relates to myths and dreams. In my concluding section, I present important and, perhaps, previously unconsidered similarities between each thinker.