Dream psychology is a field of research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of the occurrence and content of dreams, as well as their role in the mental functioning of a person. Modern psychology considers dreams as a complex phenomenon that includes the interaction of unconscious and conscious components of the psyche. One approach is the synthetic theory of dreams, based on the work of Russian psychologists, which interprets dreams through the prism of different levels of mental experience and offers systematic methods for understanding them.

In the 20th century, there were two main directions in the study of dreams: psychoanalytic and psychophysiological. The psychoanalytic approach proposed by Sigmund Freud considers dreams as a «royal road» into the unconscious, in which hidden desires and internal conflicts are realized. According to Freud, dreams are based on the mechanisms of repression, displacement and condensation, with the help of which unconscious contents are masked and turned into symbolic images. This process allows dreams to circumvent the censorship of consciousness and express repressed emotional experiences and desires [3].

A shift in the understanding of dreams has led to the emergence of new models that view dreams as a personal myth — a unique narrative about the inner world of the individual, as well as a collective symbol that includes cultural archetypes and unconscious contents shared by society. Jungian psychology pays special attention to the collective unconscious and archetypal motives manifested in the experience of sleep.

One of the modern trends is the semiotic approach to dreams, which considers dreams as a «language» containing sign structures that are subject to deciphering with the help of system and computer algorithms.

The most important step was the recognition of dreams as an object of scientific analysis, which was facilitated by the work of Sigmund Freud of the early 20th century, who emphasized the possibility of a scientific interpretation of dreams and their role in the cognition of the unconscious [1]. The analysis and synthesis of the data obtained made it possible to create generalized ideas about the structure and functions of dreams. In psychological science, the role of qualitative methods aimed at studying the semantic and personal context of dreams has increased. Such methods are based on a deep analysis of narratives, symbols and emotional content of dreams, putting them into psychotherapeutic and developmental practice. This contributes to a critical rethinking of the ways of describing and interpreting dreams, stimulates the development of new linguistic and conceptual tools necessary to overcome methodological crises in the psychology of dreams [3].

It is necessary to single out the modern synthetic approach presented within the framework of the integrative psychology of dreams, developed by Russian researchers V. V. Kozlov, S. A. Parfentiev, and V. V. Maikov. The main attention of this theory is paid to the idea of dreams as a mechanism for optimizing the psychophysiological state, aimed at reducing the entropy of mental processes, which accumulates in the state of wakefulness and leads to the disorganization of the inner world. Parfentiev's dissertation, based on this synthetic school, highlights dream analysis as a tool for diagnosing and transforming human life situations. Such a methodology helps to overcome the fragmentation of traditional interpretations and move to a systematic understanding of the psychological processes that occur in the state of sleep [4]. As a result, integrative-synthetic theory takes the understanding of dreams beyond individual psychoanalysis, encompassing interdisciplinary influences and directing research attention to the complex interactions of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Techniques based on these algorithms allow the client not only to retell the content of the dream, but also to «act» it in the waking state, entering into active interaction with its symbols and images. This approach contributes to the identification of the hidden meaning of the dream through direct experience and the integration of mental material, which was formulated in the concept of Alexei Bogachev and is effectively used in psychotherapeutic practice [1] [3].

By controlling breathing and eye movements, the therapist can transmit and receive information in real time during sleep, which opens up the possibility of direct dialogue with the unconscious and gives the therapist deeper access to the client's mental content.

The approaches contribute to a deeper understanding of the client through sleep, allow you to reveal hidden emotions and unconscious processes, and are also aimed at developing personality and correcting psychological difficulties. The integration of digital products based on these algorithms opens up new opportunities for expanding therapeutic possibilities and individualizing work with dreams [1] [3]. These tools contribute not only to diagnosis and therapy, but also to the formation of a holistic and deep understanding of the client's personality.

References:

1. Zakharov E. S. Automatic recognition of sleep stages. Technical Sciences. 2008. No5. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/avtomatizirovannoe-raspoznavanie-stadiy-sna (27.04.2025).

2. Letunovsky, V. V. Analysis of the main moods of dreams and subsequent work with them // Siberian Psychological Journal. 2002. No16–17. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/analiz-bazovyh-nastroeniy-snovideniya-i-posleduyuschaya-rabota-s-nimi (01.12.2025).

3. Chingina E. N. Analysis of sleep quality using the mobile application «sleep cycle» // International Journal of the Humanities and Natural Sciences. 2022. No10–1. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/analiz-kachestva-sna-s-pomoschyu-mobilnogo-prilozheniya-sleep-cycle (15.01.2025).

4. Shchavelev S. Eternal Shadow of Reality: An Essay on the Philosophical Anthropology of Dreams // Nomothetika: Philosophy. Sociology. Law. 2014. No9 (180). URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vechnaya-ten-realnosti-ocherk-filosofskoy-antropologii-snovideniy (01.12.2025).

5. Antipov O. I., Zakharov A. V., Poverennova I. E., Neganov V. A., Erofeev A. E. Possibilities of Various Methods of Automatic Recognition of Sleep Stages. 2012. No2. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vozmozhnosti-razlichnyh-metodov-avtomaticheskogo-raspoznavaniya-stadiy-sna (18.03.2025).