"It is all nonsense, to be sure; and so much the greater nonsense inasmuch as the true interpretation of many dreams - not by any means of all dreams - moves, it may be said, in the opposite direction to the method of psycho-analysis"

Arthur Machen's quote shows a hesitant stance on the psychoanalytic method to dream interpretation. Machen, a Welsh author understood for his works of supernatural and fantastical fiction, was writing at a time when psychoanalysis, especially Freud's theories, was getting prominence. The quote begins by identifying the analysis of dreams as "rubbish", immediately setting a critical tone. This termination could be viewed as an objection to the overarching reliance on dreams as a tool for comprehending the psyche, a main tenet of psychoanalysis at the time.

Machen's dismissal of dream interpretation as "greater rubbish" recommends that he sees it as a much more unreasonable venture than other endeavors. He acknowledges that there exists a "real interpretation" for numerous dreams, suggesting that there are genuine insights to be acquired from them, but clarifies that these facts are not universal and do not apply to all dreams. This suggests a belief in a nuanced understanding of dreams: some might hold meaning, while others may not. It highlights the complexity and uniqueness of dream experiences that can not be generalized by a single methodological technique.

The pivotal part of the quote comes when Machen claims that the true interpretation of dreams often goes in the "opposite direction" to psychoanalysis. This is a direct review of psychoanalysis, especially Freud's theory where dreams are seen as manifestations of repressed desires and unconscious ideas. Machen might be suggesting that dreams might serve various functions or reveal various elements of the human experience that are not necessarily associated to the unconscious mind as proposed by Freud.

The quote encapsulates a more comprehensive skepticism towards the reductionist propensities of early psychoanalytic theory, reflecting an era's stress in between new clinical approaches to human psychology and more conventional or mystical understandings of the mind's workings. Through this lens, Machen highlights the unpredictability and potentially unfathomable nature of dreams, promoting for an open-ended expedition rather than a definitive psychoanalytic analysis.