Academic Journal
"The flash of awakened consciousness": dream images in Freud and Benjamin.
| Τίτλος: | "The flash of awakened consciousness": dream images in Freud and Benjamin. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Tzur Mahalel A; Bucerius Institute, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. |
| Πηγή: | The International journal of psycho-analysis [Int J Psychoanal] 2026 Aug; Vol. 107 (4), pp. 643-661. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Sep 23. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Historical Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Taylor & Francis Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 2985179R Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1745-8315 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00207578 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Psychoanal Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 2018- : London : Taylor & Francis Original Publication: London : Institute of Psychoanalysis |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Dreams*/psychology , Freudian Theory*/history , Psychoanalysis*/history , Unconscious, Psychology* , Consciousness* , Imagination* , Psychoanalytic Interpretation*, Humans ; History, 20th Century |
| Περίληψη: | This essay explores the role of visual images in dream imagery as a space where unconscious processes intersect with historical forces. It offers a comparative reading in Freud's Interpretation of Dreams (1900) and Benjamin's Arcades Project (1982). Freud conceptualizes dream images as condensed memory traces that navigate between perception and hallucination, revealing repressed desires. Conversely, Benjamin's dream images critique modernity's loss of aura, offering moments of "Now-Time" as opportunities for historical creation. The essay argues that both Freud and Benjamin share a foundational premise: turning a blind eye to the obscure and unknown dimensions of individual and collective experience fosters crises and destruction, whereas striving to reveal these hidden areas promotes transformation. Exploring disruptions and ruptures in the continuity of experience challenges the inclination to act according to Freud's concept of repetition compulsion or Nietzsche's eternal return, as interpreted by Benjamin. These ideas are explored through the dream of the burning child presented by Freud and the ghost dream presented by Benjamin. The dialectic of insight and blindness, alongside the image of open doors in both dreams, invite us to consider how, even amidst loss and rupture, dream images can open pathways to new realms of experiencing and remembering. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Sigmund Freud; Walter Benjamin; dream images; dream interpretation |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260923 Date Completed: 20260923 Latest Revision: 20260923 |
| Update Code: | 20260923 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/00207578.2025.2525581 |
| PMID: | 42776046 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1745-8315 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1080/00207578.2025.2525581 |