Adults frequently experience their own father in a dream as a helpful figure. As a rule, the father is a symbol of traditional order and of that natural authority which is vitally necessary. The father appears particularly frequently in the dreams of younger people. Here, he becomes the dreamer's opponent. With this image, the dream is broaching the question of the so-called generation gap. It is necessary, however, for young people to rebel against the guidelines established by the father in order to develop their own, independent personality.