The first dream as the chief complaint of the unconscious, and its utilization by the primary physician

Based on the theory that the dream represents an important conflict of wishes essentially occurring between the id and superego, with some participation by the adaptive ego, the first dream reported by the patient is considered to be the chief complaint of the unconscious. Eighteen first dreams, chosen at random, were tentatively interpreted in re the unconscious conflicts. These tentative interpretations were amplified by a battery of projective tests. It is proposed that the primary physician with a talent for understanding the nature of inner conflicts, revealed by the frist or early dreams, may slowly venture into the area of psychotherapy by including in the history of the patient a study of inner conflicts indicated by the dream material. In this way, the conscious chief complaint may be utilized by the physician with ability to impart to the patient his understanding of the inner fears of the patient. In general, it may be assumed that improved somatic therapy results when the patient realized that the physician is trying to treat not just the pathological organ, but the patient as a whole, including subtle processes within the psyche itself.