Although there has been increasing interest in the manifest dream content, its importance has been generally neglected in the literature of dream interpretation. This began with Freud who associated enthusiasts of manifest dream content with dissidents from the psychoanalytic movement. However, in spite of theoretical statements to the contrary, Freud actually did pay serious attention to the manifest dreams. The author suggests that when the analyst takes into account all associations together with his knowledge of the patient, and views this against the background of the manifest dream content, he is then ready to construct an interpretation. In this manner, the analyst can identify the most superficial current conflict, that closest to the surface at the moment.