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Modern popular [[culture]] often conceives of dreams, like Freud, as expressions of the dreamer's deepest fears and desires.  In films such as 'Spellbound'' (1945) or ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), the protagonists must extract vital clues from surreal dreams.

Modern popular [[culture]] often conceives of dreams, like Freud, as expressions of the dreamer's deepest fears and desires.  In films such as 'Spellbound'' (1945) or ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), the protagonists must extract vital clues from surreal dreams.

Most dreams in popular culture are, however, not [[symbol]]ic, but straightforward and realistic depictions of their dreamer's fears and desires. Dream scenes may be indistinguishable from those set in the dreamer's real world, a narrative device that undermines the dreamer's and the audience's sense of security and allows horror movie protagonists, such as those of ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Friday the 13th'' (1980) or ''An American Werewolf in London'' (1981) to be suddenly attacked by dark forces while resting in seemingly safe places. Ambrose Bierce's short story ''An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'' (1891) tells of a man sentenced to death escaping the execution and returning to safety, only to wake up and realise that he is in fact about to be hanged.

Most dreams in popular culture are, however, not [[symbols|symbolic]], but straightforward and realistic depictions of their dreamer's fears and desires. Dream scenes may be indistinguishable from those set in the dreamer's real world, a narrative device that undermines the dreamer's and the audience's sense of security and allows horror movie protagonists, such as those of ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Friday the 13th'' (1980) or ''An American Werewolf in London'' (1981) to be suddenly attacked by dark forces while resting in seemingly safe places. Ambrose Bierce's short story ''An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'' (1891) tells of a man sentenced to death escaping the execution and returning to safety, only to wake up and realise that he is in fact about to be hanged.

In speculative fiction, the line between dreams and reality may be blurred even more in the service of the story. Dreams may be psychically invaded or manipulated (the ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' films, 1984–1991) or even come literally true (as in ''The Lathe of Heaven'', 1971). Such stories play to audiences’ experiences with their own dreams, which feel as real to them as the real world that inspires them.

In speculative fiction, the line between dreams and reality may be blurred even more in the service of the story. Dreams may be psychically invaded or manipulated (the ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' films, 1984–1991) or even come literally true (as in ''The Lathe of Heaven'', 1971). Such stories play to audiences’ experiences with their own dreams, which feel as real to them as the real world that inspires them.