Last update:
   16-Oct-2008
 

Arch Hellen Med, 25(4), July-August 2008, 529-532

HISTORY OF MEDICINE

Psychanalytic aspects of the function of dream in Byzantium

N. THEOCHARAKIS,1 A. EFTYCHIADIS,2 D. DAMIGOS,3 S. STYLIANIDIS,4 S. GEROULANOS5
1Scientific Association for the Regional Development and Mental Health,
2History of Medicine, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens,
3Division ïf Social Medicine and Mental Health, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina,
4Sections of Social Psychiatry, Panteion University, Athens,
5International Hippocratic Foundation of Cos, Cos, Greece

Dream in the Byzantine era is considered as the outlet of the subconscious. All the stimuli that are censored, and the wishes that act with the principle of lust, precisely as in Freud's theory, are recorded and transported into the dream. In the dream reason (corresponding to the "ego" of the Freudian theory) is not in a complete functioning state but finds an outlet of expression in the passive and the desirable (unconscious and conscious of Freud's theory), which is why certain sensations are so intense. The product of rejection finds an outlet in the dream, which is conditioned by the principle of lust. For the Byzantine writers mental illness, which cannot be obvious in another way is recorded in the dream. Several Byzantine writers accept the existence of libidinc dreams.

Key words: Âyzantium, Conscious, Freud, Subconscious.

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