Abstract
Detailed observation of manifest dream sequences indicated self-advocating occurrences facilitating the dreamer's self interests, opposed by self-adversarial interferences. Further examination of manifest dream syntactical structure additionally suggested a recurrent, four-step, algorithm for personal problem-solving within an interpersonal matrix consisting of the following cycle: (1) an opening scene setting the stage, (2) for the emergence of a self-concern, (3) which evokes a strategy to deal with dreamer's self-concern, (4) that eventuates in a consequence of the strategy. These steps repeat until the dream ends. Observing these manifest dream structural features, attributable to broadening past theorizing with “bottom-up” approaches, clarifies the dream's problem-solving process by providing an empirical, observable framework for dream interpretation and by contributing to their consensual validation.