THE PSYCHOANALITIC LEGACY
SIGMUND FREUD
Biographical sketch
1. Childhood (1856-1873)
Birth: Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856, in Freighter, Moravia (now
part of the Czech Republic).
Family: Freud was the first of eight children in his family, though only he and
his younger brother survived into adulthood.
Early Life: The family moved to Vienna when Freud was four years old. Freud
had a strong bond with his mother, Amalia, while his relationship with his
father, Jacob, was more distant.
Schooling: Freud was an excellent student, showing early signs of intellectual
ability. He loved reading and was interested in science and literature.
2. Education and Early Career (1873-1886)
University: Freud attended the University of Vienna at the age of 17 to study
medicine.
Medical Studies: He studied biology and medicine, earning his medical
degree in 1881.
Influence from Char-cot: Freud went to Paris to study under Jean-Martin
Char-cot, a neurologist who introduced him to the treatment of hysteria
using hypnosis.
Return to Vienna: After completing his studies, Freud returned to Vienna and
opened a private medical practice in 1886, focusing on patients with
psychological issues.
3. Adult Life and Family (1886-1939)
Marriage: In 1886, Freud married Martha Bernays, and they had six children
together.
Psychoanalysis: Freud developed the technique of psychoanalysis, a method
of treating mental disorders through talking to patients and exploring their
unconscious minds.
Theories: Freud's key theories include the unconscious mind, defense
mechanisms, and the stages of psycho sexual development.
Influence: Freud became widely known in the early 1900s as his ideas on the
unconscious and childhood development gained attention.
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4. Relationship . with Parents
Mother: Freud had a particularly strong relationship with his mother, who
doted on him.
Father: His relationship with his father was more complicated; Freud often
described feeling overshadowed by his father’s authority.
The Oedipus Complex: Freud later developed the theory of the Oedipus
complex, suggesting that children have unconscious desires for their
opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent. This idea was
partly inspired by his own childhood experiences.
5. Contributions to Psychology
Psychoanalysis: Freud is best known for developing psychoanalysis, a therapy
that focuses on understanding the unconscious mind.
Dream Theory: He introduced the theory that dreams are expressions of
unconscious desires, detailed in his famous book The Interpretation of
Dreams (1900).
Structural Model of the Mind: Freud’s model of the mind consists of the id
(primitive desires), ego (realistic part), and superego (moral standards).
Defense Mechanisms: He explored how the mind defends itself against
anxiety through defense mechanisms like repression and denial.
Influence on Culture: Freud’s theories influenced not only psychology but
also literature, art, and cultural thinking.
6. Later Life and Exile (1930-1939)
Cancer Diagnosis: Freud was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 1923, which
caused him a lot of pain throughout his later years.
Exile to London: With the rise of Nazi power in Austria, Freud, who was
Jewish, fled Vienna in 1938 and moved to London.
Death: Freud passed away on September 23, 1939, at the age of 83, after
years of battling his illness.
7. Legacy
Pioneer of Psychology: Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis. His
ideas changed the way we think about the mind and behavior.
Enduring Influence: Despite some of his theories being controversial or
outdated, Freud’s work remains influential in both psychology and other
fields like literature, art, and cultural studies.
Continued Study: Freud’s work continues to be studied, debated, and built
upon by psychologists and scholars today.
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Critical Evolution
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory has been criticized on many
fronts.
Scientific basis
Lack of empirical data: Freud's theory is difficult to test scientifically because it's
based on subjective interpretations of a small group of patients
Not developed using the scientific method: Freud's theory was not developed
using the scientific method
Flawed clinical data: Some critics say that Freud's clinical data is flawed and
inaccurate
Focus on sex
Freud's theory is said to be too focused on sex and doesn't balance other aspects
of the human mind.
Focused on male development
Freud's theory is said to focus more on male psycho sexual development and offer
little insight into females
Freud's research population was not representative of the larger population
Freud's theory is repetitive and cannot be easily proven or disproven
Freud's theory emphasizes pathology and neglects to study optimal psychological
functioning
Basic Concepts
Sigmund Freud's theories of psychoanalysis are based on the idea that the
unconscious mind drives human behavior. His theories include the existence
of the unconscious, the role of childhood experiences, and defense
mechanisms.
Psychoanalytic Theory : Freud is best known for
developing psychoanalysis, a therapeutic technique for treating
feelings. Psychoanalytic theory sometimes called psycho dynamic
theory.
Psychoanalysis; method of treating mental disorders, shaped by
psychoanalytic theory, which emphasizes unconscious mental
processes and is sometimes described as “depth psychology.”
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Ice-berg Theory: Freud (1900, 1905) developed a topographical
model of the mind, describing the features of the mind’s structure
and function. Freud used the analogy of an iceberg to describe the
three levels of the mind
An illustration of Freud’s Iceberg Theory, where the conscious mind
is the visible tip above the water, while the larger unconscious mind
lies submerged, out of immediate sight yet immensely influential.
Personality structure: Freud proposed a tripartite
model of the human mind, composed of the id, ego, and
superego.
Id : The id is the primitive and instinctive component of
personality.The id is the impulsive (and unconscious) part of our
psyche that responds directly and immediately to basic urges,
needs, and desires. The personality of the newborn child is all id,
and only later does it develop an ego and super-ego.The id operates
on the pleasure principle (Freud, 1920), that every unconscious
wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the
consequences.
Ego: According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the
impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The
ego functions in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.The ego is the
personality component responsible for dealing with reality.the ego operates based
on the reality principle
Superego: The superego incorporates the values and morals of society. The
superego operates on the morality principle and motivates us to behave in a socially
responsible and acceptable manner. The superego’s function is to control the id’s
impulses, especially those which society forbids, such as sex and aggression.
Psycho-sexual Developmental : Freud’s controversial theory
of psychosexual development suggests that early childhood experiences and stages
(oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital) shape our adult personality and behavior.
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The stages
Oral:This stage occurs from birth to one year of age. It's centered around the
mouth and the pleasure of eating and sucking.
Anal:This stage occurs from one to three years of age. It's centered
around the bowel and bladder, and the pleasure of controlling them.
Phallic: This stage occurs from three to six years of age. It's centered around
the genitalia, and the child's longing for the opposite-sex parent.
Latency:This stage occurs from six to twelve years of age. It's characterized by
dormant sexual feelings.
Genital :This stage occurs from thirteen to eighteen years of age. It's
characterized by mature sexual feelings.
Defense Mechanisms: Freud proposed several defense mechanisms,
like repression and projection, which the ego employs to handle the tension and
conflicts among the id, superego, and the demands of reality.
Denial : Avoiding acknowledging feelings or actions that may cause guilt or
anxiety
Repression :Unconsciously blocking out thoughts, memories, or feelings that
may cause anxiety or fear
Sublimation :Channeling unacceptable impulses, unmet desires, or conflicted
emotions into productive outlets
Projection:Unintentionally attributing feelings, thoughts, or behaviors to
someone else
Displacement:Using a substitute object to receive feelings or behaviors instead
of the person or situation that caused them
Rationalization:Using logical reasons to justify behavior that may be driven by
unconscious impulses
Regression :Reverting to an immature behavior from an earlier stage of
development
Reaction formation :Behaving in a way that is the opposite of one's true feelings
to hide or suppress under
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Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) refers to a
variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling
emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Free association:
Free association is the practice of allowing the patient to discuss thoughts, dreams,
memories, or words, regardless of coherency. The patient is allowed to talk without
pause in a stream of words. Freud believed this non-linear way of thinking would
lead to the unconscious mind.
Dream analysis: Dream analysis is a psychological technique that interprets
dreams to uncover hidden meanings and motivations. It's used in psychotherapy and
psychoanalysis to help identify and address mental health concerns.
Catharsis: Catharsis in psychotherapy refers to the process of releasing, and
thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. It often involves a
person expressing deep-seated feelings, such as sadness, anger, or frustration, in a
safe and supportive environment. This emotional release can lead to healing and
greater self-awareness.
Transference: Transference in psychotherapy refers to the phenomenon
where a patient unconsciously projects feelings, thoughts, and attitudes from past
relationships onto the therapist. These feelings are often rooted in early experiences,
such as those with parents or significant figures in the patient's .
Resistance: Resistance in psychotherapy refers to the unconscious defense
mechanisms that a patient uses to avoid facing distressing thoughts, feelings, or
memories during the therapeutic process.
Interpretation: Interpretation in psychotherapy refers to the therapist’s
process of offering insights or explanations to help the patient understand the
underlying meanings of their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or experiences. It often
involves connecting unconscious material (such as repressed memories or feelings)
to current patterns in the patient’s life.
Working through: This process is often gradual and can take time, as the
patient works to fully understand and integrate the emotions or memories they've
previously avoided or repressed. It helps the person break free from old patterns,
develop healthier coping strategies, and move toward emotional healing.
THE END
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