Dreams and the Wish for Immortality

Abstract

The article proposes that wishes for longevity and immortality should be
added to Freud’s list of wish-fulfillment (sexual and aggressive) dreams. The
author provides examples of his own dreams to support his thesis. The article
also maintains that the distinction between wish-fulfillment and traumatic
dreams is not as absolute as Freud maintains—traumatic dreams may also
be wish fulfilling. The article discusses how the child’s knowledge of death
develops from early life on. The fear of immortality as well as the wish for
immortality is considered.