Modern science believes that there is something behind dreaming and that it will greatly benefit mankind if it can be figured. Freud, Jung and Adler, due to the extensiveness of their research, studies and tests made in the name of dream psychology stay, up to this day, as champions in the field. Their influence can still be felt and their studies are most sought after. Freud and Jung both believed that dreams have meaning. Freud strongly stood behind his findings that dreams are the road to one’s unconscious mind while Jung used symbols and archetypes which he later termed as collective unconscious. On the other hand, Adler raised the greatest contradiction for both Freud and Jung’s theories. Adler stated that dreams are generated by both the conscious and unconscious mind. Adler’s theory concluded that dreams are mere manifestations of our waking lives and can be used as a tool to detect problems, existing and potential ones, and ultimately arrive to a beneficial solution.

.

Adler started his career as an ophthalmologist in a lower-class part of Vienna near an amusement park and circus.  His early patients consisted of circus performers.  His most famous concept is the inferiority complex which highlights problems of self-esteem.  He was also one of the few psychologists to argue in favor of feminism.  He, Freud and Jung are considered to be the founding fathers of depth psychology which deals with the unconscious and psychodynamics.

The rift between Freud and Adler began when Freud began to feel threatened with Adler’s theories on psychology.  Adler’s theories centered towards philosophies ingrained by Nietzsche.  He argued for holism rather than reductively which Freud seemed to favor.  However, Adler maintained a lifelong admiration of Freud and his theories on dreams.  He also credits Freud’s theories on dreams for creating a clinical approach for their utilization.

The main difference between the two regarding dream interpretations is that Adler leaned towards the existence of the social realm where the dynamics of power is more than just sexuality and that gender, politics and other elements are important factors to consider.  Freud did not share Adler’s socialist beliefs.

After the Nazis occupied Vienna, He and his family migrated to the United States.  He died while on a lecture tour in Aberdeen, Scotland.  He was 67.

.