I’m not that into Freud, but I respect him. I’m so glad we have moved beyond Freud, but everything he believes isn’t wrong, imo.

I chatted with Freud through ChatGPT. I was looking for something else and thought, “it’s time to discuss the only dream I can remember.” So, I asked:

I have a couple of shelves that I “need” to hang. Have had them for over 6 months. I haven’t done it because I don’t know whether I have the right tools. I’ve never done it before and I’m very busy. Rarely think about them in day-to-day life. But when having night terrors, I think about them…a lot. It’s the only thing I remember from any dreams. What does this mean?

I’m not posting the whole response. Too long. But here’s the gist of it:

Freud might say the shelves stand for a part of your life that is “waiting to be put in place” — perhaps an ambition, a responsibility, or even a part of your identity that you have not yet anchored. The fact that you “don’t know if you have the right tools” could reflect a feeling in your waking life that you lack the resources, skills, or perhaps the confidence to address some important matter.

Is this Freud or just anyone? Because I already thought of this answer and I don’t think like Freud. Then the fake Freud asked what happens in my dreams after I put up the shelves? I forgot that I don’t think I ever put up the shelves in my dreams. I answered:

I think I feel relieved, like it’s finally done.

More Freud:

Good… relief is a very important clue. Relief usually means that something has been weighing on you silently, taking up psychic energy even when you are not consciously aware of it.

This could point to several possibilities:

1. Deferred Order — Perhaps there are parts of your life that you wish were more organized, but you have not created the structure for them. The unmounted shelf then becomes a silent reminder of that unmade order.
2. A Place for the Self — In some cases, shelves can symbolize a readiness to display something of oneself — achievements, memories, identity — but the “stage” for this self-presentation is not yet prepared.
3. The Anxiety of Incompletion — You may have a deeper pattern of avoiding final steps, not from laziness, but because finishing something removes the “possibility” and replaces it with permanence.

The night terrors are significant. At night, the unconscious is less restrained and will seize on any concrete image to represent a more amorphous anxiety. The shelves may be standing in for a backlog of psychic tasks — emotions unexpressed, conversations not had, decisions deferred.

Okay, Freud. You sound like any random dream interpreter! But you are probably 100% right. I already thought of this because nothing else makes sense.

I think it might be 1 and 3 for me. I don’t have a lot of rewards that I want to display so #2 is not right for me. All the rewards I have are reminders of how professional I was, and I wish I could change all that and say eff, their standards. So, I don’t want reminders of that.

Yes, to deferred order and the anxiety of incompletion. I don’t wish I were more organized that often so it’s more about avoidance. I could have a PhD in avoidance. I’m so good at it.

That was easy. Thanks, Freud!

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