Author: Paulami Dam, Junior Research Fellow
SIGMUND FREUD: THE FOUNDER OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the inventor of psychoanalysis, a therapeutic approach for managing psychopathology via interaction among the patient and the psychoanalyst. The famous psychoanalyst claimed that the character traits present in each person are generated from the continual and dynamic interplay of psychological forces operating at three distinct levels i.e.
- conscious,
- preconscious/subconscious,
- unconscious.
He concluded that these three aspects of the mind enforce a significant impact on behaviour, personality and character. When formulating his theories of character building, Sigmund significantly focused on the experience gathered from his patients' case studies.
THREE ASPECTS OF MENTAL STATE
Concept Of Conscious, Preconscious and Unconcsious Mind
- THE CONSCIOUS MIND: It is made up of our idea, memory, emotion, and desire that are in our awareness at any particular time. This is the significant part of brain functioning about which we may reasonably think and discuss. It also involves out-of-awareness memories, which we can quickly recover via thinking processes.
- THE PRECONSCIOUS/SUBCONSCIOUS MIND: Every ACCESSIBLE psychological element, which can eventually be retrieved in the conscious mind by deliberate effort, is included in the preconscious state of mind.
- THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND: It is a repository of INACCESSIBLE emotions, ideas, desires, and memories which are unaware to us. The unconsciousness includes improper or unfavourable elements, such as pain sensation, stress, or strife (e.g. an embarrassing event in childhood, a painful memory etc.).
SIGMUND FREUD'S ICEBERG THEORY
Sigmund compared the three states of mind to an iceberg. The conscious mind is represented by the visible peak of the iceberg above the ocean. The preconscious mind is the section of the iceberg sunk under the ocean yet noticeable. The unconscious mind, on the other hand, is represented by the mass of the iceberg which remains hidden under the ocean.
CAN THE SUBCONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS MIND INFLUENCE THE CONSCIOUS BEHAVIOURS?
The subconscious is the component of the mind which is not immediately the centre of awareness. Suppressed emotions, buried memories, behaviours, ideas, urges, and impulses can all be found in the unconscious state. Experiences and emotions that are too unpleasant, humiliating, disgusting, or disturbing to confront consciously are kept in the vast repository that is the unconscious mind. Emotional responses beyond the consciousness continue to impact our personality even when we are oblivious i.e. unconscious of such underpinning effects.
THE FREUDIAN SLIP
I accidentally called my ex-boyfriend's name in front of my crush. Is it a verbal error or something else?
Whereas the unconscious mind is typically not accessible, Freud argued that its elements might occasionally and suddenly pop up i.e. in a dream or in slip of the tongue. For instance, I once accidentally called my new crush by my ex-boyfriend's name. It's simply not only a verbal error or accidental mistake, but it is FREUDIAN SLIP as the name is somehow engraved in my unconscious or preconscious mind via my emotions or memories.
