That Freud is the father of Psychoanalysis, we all know. But what about all the Freudian theories? Do you know each one of them? In today's article we will introduce you to Freud's theory complete Come and discover each one of them!

Who was Freud?

Sigmund Freud was a medical neurologist. His contact with people with psychological disorders came from people diagnosed with hysteria, a very recurrent disease.

So, after studies with these patients and the use of hypnosis as a treatment, Freud noticed that this alone was not enough, so he began his studies and created Psychoanalysis, a therapy capable of solving the patients' psychic problems.

Freud's complete theory: Free association

After noticing that hypnosis was not enough, Freud proposed that the patients begin to talk freely, about whatever comes to mind. Thus, based on what the patient brings to the light of the session, the therapist will be able to search for meaning in the analyzed person's unconscious.

Thus, Free Association is an essential part of psychoanalytic therapy, and is also used for dream interpretation.

The Interpretation of Dreams

For Freud, dreams are a very important part of access to the unconscious, since it is through them that this area of the mind "communicates" with the conscious. For the Freudian method, everything is considered: dreaming, remembering, and telling the dream.

In addition, Freud presented dreams as a way to understand the unconscious by having the patient have thoughts and make relationships between the dream and these conscious thoughts. In this way, the therapist is able to have greater access to the obstacles of the unconscious.

From these two techniques, we are introduced to the concepts of Freud's two topics.

Freud's Complete Theory: The First Topic

In the first topic of Freud's studies, he postulated the existence of three areas of the human mind: the Conscious, the Pre-Conscious, and the Unconscious. Let's understand a little more about them?

The Aware

The conscious is the part of our mind that deals with everything that we have access to and are aware of. Thus, everything that we have full capacity for remembering, thinking, etc. Thus, the conscious is only a small part of our mind.

The Pre-Conscious

The preconscious is like a filter between the conscious and the unconscious. In it are memories and facts that, with some ease, can become conscious memories. For example, some college subject that you don't need to remember all the time, but, if necessary, you will know exactly what it is about, is a memory present in the preconscious.

The unconscious

Most of the individual's memories are present in the unconscious. Thus, all the traumas, sensations and moments that we, even when we really want them, cannot access to understand, are "stored" there.

You may have an irrational fear of a dog, for example, and never understand why, because your mind has repressed a very vivid memory, which may have involved either a dog or a representative figure of the animal.

Furthermore, the unconscious uses more than 90% of our mind, as opposed to the conscious. In other words, there is more to discover about us than we actually know!

Freud's Theory Complete: the Second Topic

In the Second Topic of his studies, Freud again separated the human mind into three parts: the Id, the Ego and the Superego. Do you know what each one is responsible for?

The Id

The Id is an area located in the unconscious, and is responsible for our life and death drives, as well as desires, both sexual and random. For example, it is the Id that sends us an inappropriate desire, to do something that society often represses.

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Because of his need to fulfill his desires, the Id thinks of no rules and no consequences, he seeks only pleasure.

The Superego

The Superego, unlike the Id, is present at the conscious and unconscious levels. Thus, it seeks to repress many of the impulses of human life. Therefore, it is responsible for censorship, guilt, and the fear of being repressed. Its rules are postulated in early childhood, when the child begins to understand the prohibitions given by parents and school.

Moreover, it is a regulating instance, which defines morals, ethics, and the notion of right and wrong. And for it, there is no middle ground between right and wrong.

The Ego

The Ego is the main part of our mind, it is established mainly in the conscious, but it also has access to the unconscious. It is responsible for mediating the Id and the Superego. It is guided by reality, so it is able to repress the desires of the Id, but it is also able to minimize the reprisals made by the Superego.

Therefore, the Ego is the middle ground, and it is the Ego that rules us and makes the final decision in our choices.

Besides these concepts, Freud also postulated many others! Read on to check out the complete theory!

Freud's Theory Complete: Psychosexual Development

Freud postulated that as early as infancy, human beings already begin to develop their sexuality. With this, he implemented the idea that children are not "pure" as imagined. Thus, psychosexual development has 5 stages, is based on age, but there is no fixation consensus, since the stages intertwine.

Oral Phase

The oral phase occurs until the first year of age, and is when the child discovers the world using the mouth, and feels good about being breastfed.

Anal Phase

In the anal phase, which occurs from 2 to 4 years of age, the child discovers that he has the power to control his toilet visits; it is the defrail phase. Thus, he discovers that he has sphincter control.

Phallic Phase

This phase is demarcated by the discovery of the genital region, and lasts from the ages of 4 to 6. The fixation on their genitals makes them try to formulate theories about why some children have penises and others have vaginas.

Latency Phase

The latency phase lasts from the ages of 6 to 11, or pre-adolescence. In this phase, the child seeks pleasure in social activities, such as sports, music, and others.

Genital Phase

The genital phase begins from the age of 11, i.e. adolescence proper. Here children and adolescents begin to have sexual impulses, so there is the beginning of romance and the search to formulate an object of desire.

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In addition to psychosexual development, Freud also postulated the existence of some complexes.

Freud's Theory Complete: The Oedipus Complex

The Oedipus complex occurs when the boy child feels threatened by his father, because he tries to have all the attention and affection of his mother, so he feels jealous of his father.

This jealousy places him as a rival of his father, and this is only overcome with the maturation of the Ego, which perceives the father's imposing power, that is, that it is more advisable for the child to ally with the father than to stand against him. This maturation makes the child identify with the father and develop a mature sexuality.

The Oedipus complex occurs during the phallic phase, and the boy child feels fear of being castrated in the same way his mother was, since she does not have the same genital organ as he does.

Furthermore, Carl Jung created the Electra Complex, which is the female version of the Oedipus Complex.

Freud's Theory Complete: The Castration Complex

The Castration Complex was formulated based on the Oedipus Complex. This complex is not about physical castration, but mental castration, that is, the limits imposed on the child. The child feels that his parents, especially his father, have the power to give him limits, therefore, they can "castrate" his desires and impulses that come from the Id.

Freud's theory complete: the Defense Mechanisms

Because of the constant tension suffered by the Ego, it seeks to create defense mechanisms in order to diminish fear and exclude from consciousness some unwanted contents and memories. Thus, the defense mechanisms deform reality and can even aid in narcissism, since they show the Ego only what it wants to see.

Resistance and Transfer

Resistance is a barrier that the patient places between himself and the analyst, which functions as a defense mechanism. Furthermore, transference is like a bond made between the patient and the analyst. Freud understands this bond as a form of love, just like the love of a mother and child. With this transference, the unconscious becomes more accessible.

Conclusion

As you can notice, Freudian theories revolve around the human mind based on the unconscious and on hidden traumas. In addition, it also takes a lot into consideration the sexual issue of the individual, in addition to sexual drives and libido.

Finally, I suggest that you deepen your knowledge about each theory by clicking on the highlighted links. Seek, each day, to expand your mind and understand about psychoanalysis and how it works!