According to Freud, what does "manifest content" refer to?

Manifest content refers to the actual storyline or surface-level details of a dream as experienced by the dreamer. In Freud's theory of dream analysis, he distinguishes between manifest content and latent content. While manifest content includes the elements and events that are clearly recalled when a person wakes up, latent content represents the deeper, hidden meanings that are often symbolic and can reflect the dreamer's unconscious desires and thoughts. Freud emphasized that analyzing both aspects can provide insights into the dreamer's psyche, but manifest content alone captures the explicit narrative of the dream itself. This understanding is crucial in the study of dreams within psychology, particularly in Freudian psychoanalysis.