Final answer:
Rosalind Cartwright believes that dreams mirror significant life events for the dreamer, supported through empirical studies. Her views contrast with Freud's and Jung's theories regarding the unconscious. Philosophical discussions further question the boundary between dreams and waking life.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sleep and dreaming researcher Rosalind Cartwright is a figure who posits that dreams reflect life events that are important to the dreamer, marking a departure from the views of Freud and Jung. Cartwright's hypotheses have garnered empirical backing, as seen in her study with women undergoing divorce. This research showcased a notable correlation between the frequency of thoughts regarding their ex-spouses during waking hours and the appearance of the ex-spouses in their dreams.
Cartwright's perspective stands in contrast to the theories proposed by Freud, who believed dreams provide insight into the unconscious mind, and Jung, who considered dreams to connect with the collective unconscious. Although their approaches differ, each theory attempts to explore the meaning and origin of dreams.
Notably, philosophical contemplations such as those by Zhuang Zhou and René Descartes have delved into the nature of consciousness and the reality of dreams versus waking life, questioning if one can truly differentiate the two. This ongoing exploration into the phenomenology of dreaming continues to inspire both scientific and philosophical discourse.