Claiming he had discovered the "royal road to the unconscious," Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams at the turn of the twentieth century, and thus laid the foundation for his innovative technique of psychoanalysis. Largely ignored at first, the book would eventually be considered his most important work, one that revolutionized the way human beings view themselves. Spurred on by the death of his father, Freud began analyzing his own dreams, in the process recreating lost childhood memories and uncovering the roots of his own neuroses. He concluded that dreams were filled with latent meaning, their bizarre imagery and peculiar narratives concealing deep-seated, instinctual motives and desires. By revealing how the seemingly trivial nonsense of dreams reflect important personal issues in the dreamer's present and past life, Freud created a key that unlocked the vital secrets of the unconscious mind.--From publisher description.

The world of Sigmund Freud and The Interpretation of Dreams -- Introduction / by Daniel T. O'Hara and Gina Masucci MacKenzie -- Note on the translation and the notes -- The Interpretation of Dreams -- Appendix: emendations to the Brill translation.