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A Biographical and Teleological Study of 'Irma's Injection' Dream. Harry C. Leavitt. Pp. 440-447.
Preservation of sleep is only one of many functions served by dreams. The biological theory (Hadfield) stresses that the repetition in dreams of daily problems and difficulties tends toward their solution. Leavitt modifies this theory, emphasizing rather that the dream makes the subject more vigilant after he awakens, so that he is better aware of the dangers represented in the dream and better able to cope with them. Fears that are unrealistic because no longer warranted are in this fashion 'deconditioned'. The frequent frightening dreams of young children thus insure survival in an environment containing many threats.
According to this principle of dream interpretation, the circumstances surrounding Freud's dream about Irma's injection suggest that Freud's ambivalence toward Fliess was increased by his dream. The dream increased Freud's intuitive awareness of the need for self-analysis. The waking ego was thus considerably benefited by his use of this dream.