"Obviously one must hold oneself responsible for the evil impulses of one's dreams. In what other way can one deal with them? Unless the content of the dream rightly understood is inspired by alien spirits, it is part of my own being"

Freud explores the question of personal responsibility in relation to the troubling or morally questionable content we sometimes experience in dreams. He rejects the idea that we can simply disown or externalize the darker impulses that arise during dreaming, unless we accept a belief in outside forces, “alien spirits”, as the sources of those thoughts, which Freud, as a psychoanalyst, does not. For him, the dream is an expression of elements embedded in the self: experiences, desires, fears, and impulses, many of which might be unconscious or repressed in waking life.

Freud’s statement challenges us to confront the unsettling truth that even the unwelcome or “evil” elements surfacing in dreams are reflections of our psyche. By claiming responsibility for these impulses, he points toward self-examination and honest engagement with the unconscious. This acceptance does not necessarily mean acting on such impulses, nor does it imply moral culpability for fleeting dream phenomena. Instead, it suggests a need to understand their origins and meanings, seeing them as evidence of the complex, sometimes contradictory, nature of human motivation.

Embracing responsibility for our dreams also encourages self-knowledge. Dreams, in Freud’s system, are coded messages from the unconscious, often revealing hidden wish-fulfillments or unresolved conflicts. Denying ownership over their content, or attributing them to external forces, blocks the psychological growth that comes from self-awareness. Thus, Freud’s comment is not an invitation to feel guilt, but rather a call to curious and fearless exploration of the self, even its most confusing or troubling aspects.

Recognizing that dream content “is part of my own being” expands our understanding of the mind’s depth and complexity, prompting a compassionate yet honest look at our inner worlds. Through this responsibility, we gain insight and the possibility of transformation, integrating what was once hidden into conscious understanding.