The author critically evaluates Róheim's theory that myths derive from actual dreams that then come to be shared. Róheim interpreted myths according to the psychoanalytic understanding of dream work. Morales also evaluates Róheim's notion of the "basic dream" that has two parts. One part symbolizes the return to the womb, and the second part portrays a "returning" countermove to regain contact with the outer world. Morales argues that Róheim gave no proof for a causal connection between dream and myth. She concludes that from a structural point of view they share similar features. She notes that dreams are personal and idiosyncratic, whereas myths are socially shared and the product of a group process. She cites the work of Kluckhohn and Lincoln as providing some evidence for Róheim's thesis which he himself did not provide.