Latent Dream Thoughts

The expression "latent dream thoughts" comes up frequently in the writings of Freud; while the term as a whole has a very definite meaning, the same cannot be said for "thoughts."

"Latent" was opposed to "manifest" in the context of the "manifest content" of the dream and its "latent content." Taking advantage of the weakening of the censorship during sleep, the dream fulfills wishes repressed during the waking state. This can only happen at the cost of transformations and distortions created by the dream work, which translates the latent...