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Drawing on three examples – the Bible, the case of a patient and that of Fellini –, this article shows how the dream experience can differ from one subject to another. In the Bible, the dream remains an object that is totally external to the subject, reducing him to a state of passivity. In analysis, with certain patients, it can become the object of a fetishistic cathexis, guaranteeing the subject's integrity and hindering any possibility of analysis. In this respect, it reminds us of the central phobic position, a notion developed by André Green. The work then consists in enabling the subject to familiarize themselves with this strange object, to make it their own and thus to be able to associate with it and reflect on it. Sometimes, as in the case of Fellini, the dream is very strongly cathected and contributes to a profusion of artistic production, but it then seems that the subject has difficulty in separating themselves from it. The dream is at the heart of the relationship with the primary object and all its uncertainties. While the dream enriches the imagination and creativity, the individual must be able to let go of it at some point in order to get on with life. It therefore involves mourning. The role of the third party, the superego, is essential in this process.