"Dreams, in Freud's view, were all forms of "wish-fulfillment" — attempts by the unconscious to resolve a conflict of some sort, whether something recent or something from the recesses of the past."
So, chapter three if interpreted as a dream must represent, almost like a metaphor, the conflicts in Harker's unconscious; thoughts and feelings of experiences which have collected in his unconsciousness and are shown through a dream. However as according to Freud these dreams are distorted and warped, we have to almost 'decode' the dream to see what it represents.
At the beginning of the chapter, Harker realises he is "a prisoner" trapped inside the castle. Dreaming of being trapped coincides apparently with being trapped within your mind, in Harker's case, being held captive by his own stubbornness; to stubborn to lose his Victorian scientific mindset and grasp hold of all the hints of the supernatural surrounding him, warning him to the sheer danger he is in and the true nature of Dracula.
Proceeding this is his talk with Dracula about the history of Transylvania, which if dreaming the conversation, could be Harker's unconsciousness finally grasping hold of all the hints and warning him that Dracula is a vampire. Despite his scepticism of the supernatural previously, subtle hints are woven into the conversation; Dracula talking about historical battles "as if he had been present at them all" hints at his immortality, and how "anything on which he laid his hands" he could "crush it by main strength" suggests the inhuman strength of a vampire. Harker seems distant to these notions, yet his unconsciousness is subtly revealing them in a dream.
The obsession with science in the Victorian era could be projected through Harker's 'dream'. His comfort in the crucifix is pragmatic; "conveying memories of sympathy and comfort" rather than religious, even when the supernatural is blatantly present, with mentions of "the devil" from Dracula. Reinforcing Harker's classic Victorian obsession with science is his use of shorthand to try and confuse Dracula, his unconscious showing how in face of the supernatural, Harker would always try and battle 'magic' with science.
If chapter three is a dream, then the incident with the three female vampires may be a dream within a dream; "I must have fallen asleep", and in that case Harker's unconsciousness will be in hyperdrive. One interpretation may see the erotic succumbing of Harker to the three women as purely a male fantasy of three beautiful women dominating one man, which any Victorian male would probably dream about. However there are other reasons why Harker's unconsciousness may provide this dream.
The dream depicts human sexuality as something to be feared, and even condemned, as the dream has the shocked tone of a guilty confession. By being lured by these three women (who immediately resemble the irresistibly of the mythological Greek sirens, who fatally lure men to them), Harker is almost masochistic, as he is full aware of the danger being "kissed" by one of them brings. Sexual desire is described as "wicked", and along with the "longing" brings a "deadly fear". This could be showing Harker's typically Victorian fear of sexuality, yet at some points he doesn't seem at all fearful of his sexuality. He waits in "languorous ecstasy" to be "kissed" by the vampire, showing he is not fearful, however this "delightful anticipation" is agony for him, therefore he knows it is wrong.
Not only this, but female sexuality could be seen through Harker's dream not be feared, but to be despised, as it is both "thrilling and repulsive". If Harker is unconsciously dreaming erotically of women, maybe he secretly desires for them, but knows society at the time deemed it "repulsive"? Whatever the reason, it is clear that Harker does feel guilty, as when he imagines women in the room "sad for their men folk away in the midst of remorseless wars" his unconscious brings forth the image of his fiancee, Mina, ignorant to the desire Harker feels for the vampires. Therfore even right at the start the dream foreshadows guilt with what is about to happen.
The fact that Harker is on the brink of consciousness in his dream at the time he encounters his sexuality suggests reduced responsibility, and that his unconscious is deeming sexual desire irresponsible and weak.
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