The Iceberg was chosen by Sigmund Freud to represent something hitherto unknown, the universe of the human mind, resulting in the metaphor of the iceberg.

Postulates in the representation the tip as being the conscious and the The submerged part represents the unconscious, the unknown part, full of contents that until then were difficult to access. The genesis of all that is known today about psychoanalytic theory was something thought up and created by him. See below about the iceberg metaphor for Freud.

The Unconscious and the iceberg metaphor

It was not an easy task, but it became a science capable of unraveling the desires and longings of the psychic field. Freud does not attribute to himself the discovery of Unconscious.

"...Poets and philosophers discovered the unconscious before I did. What I discovered was the scientific method that allows us to study the unconscious" (Sigmund Freud).

Starting from this assumption said by Freud, we paraphrase Fernando Pessoa who speaks in his poetry of the unconscious: in "The emissary of the Unconscious: ..." Emissary of an unknown king, I carry out instructions from beyond, And the sudden sentences that come to my lips Sound to me another and anomalous sense ... Unconsciously I divide myself Between me and the mission that my being has, And the glory of my King gives methe disdain for this human people among whom I deal... I do not know if there is the King who sent me. My mission will be me to forget, my pride the desert in which I am in myself..., But there is! I feel high traditions From before time and space and life and being... Have you seen God my sensations... (Pessoa, 1995, p. 128).

Arthur Schopenhauer and Psychoanalysis

As for the philosophical view of the unconscious, in literature there have been several philosophers who have dealt with the unconscious, that is, the concept of the unconscious. unaware .

However, among these philosophers, the one who stood out as being closest to psychoanalytic theory was the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.

Primarily Schopenhauer's philosophy can be pointed to as a reference in the study of the relations between psychoanalysis and philosophy.

Poetry and Philosophy in Freudian Psychoanalysis

Two important pieces of knowledge : poetry and philosophy that were the basis for the treatment proposed by Freudian psychoanalysis, based on the notion of the unconscious.

This was a small parenthesis to illustrate the origin of the notion of the unconscious, but it deserves more emphasis at another time. Thus, paying attention to the scientific method proposed by Freud that makes it possible the study of the unconscious that he calls Psychoanalysis.

Theoretical construct based on the precepts of hermeneutics It is a field of study of an investigative and interpretative nature.

Still on the iceberg metaphor

In the iceberg metaphor, what is on the visible, accessible plane represented by the iceberg tip is something from conscious but the submerged part represents the unconscious of difficult access that will only be possible through the method created by the father of psychoanalysis.

This dark part of the mind contains contents unknown to the subject that when it becomes conscious and after being elaborated becomes the individual's life much freer, freed from recalcitrant, traumatizing contents. This could even reverse previously unexplained physical symptoms to physical pathologies with no organic cause.

Walking Toward Psychoanalysis

It was a long way for Freud to arrive at what is known today as psychoanalysis. Charcot, Breuer have permeated the history of the new scientific method.

A priori, we used other techniques such as Hypnosis together with Charcot then started the the cathartic method, with Breuer that it is a release of affections and emotions that would be linked to the traumatizing conditions of the past through memories, that would make the presented symptoms disappear.

These partnerships were important in the study and treatment of the hysteria pathology of the time that apparently had an organic cause, but later found to have emotional roots, In this way, he proceeded towards psychoanalysis by uncovering the unconscious by the method of free association.

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The Construction of Psychoanalysis

The path was not easy, winding, and full of obstacles. Many, at the time, did not give credence to the study and treatment proposed by Sigmund Freud. However, he did not hesitate to give up, he continued even in the face of the criticism he received at the time.

Here opens a parenthesis that appears in one scene of the film: Freud in Beyond the Soul. In which Dr. Charcot, then Freud's teacher, makes an analogy about the Unconscious.

Charcot tells Freud "that scorpions have to stay in the dark, alluding to the unconscious, which at that moment should not be studied. However, on his deathbed, Dr. Charcot asks Freud to continue his work and studies on the unconscious.

The Submerged Unconscious and the Iceberg

Continuing with his studies Freud demonstrates that in the unconscious there are archaic experiences present in each subject's history, forming psychic conflicts.

Underneath the unconscious there are representations that need to be translated into words, The unconscious system is timeless, does not wear out with the passage of time, and has no contradiction of negation, there is no no.

Final considerations

From the Freudian point of view, the unconscious is ruled by the pleasure principle. Not everything that is unconscious is repressed, but everything that is repressed is unconscious.

Finally, one can conclude that Freudian written studies, including the iceberg metaphor, are very rich for the understanding of psychic apparatus It makes psychic life possible to go through the analytic process, allowing each person to deal with his or her own history.

Whoever ventures into the study of psychoanalysis cannot help but be charmed by this wonderful science that has been structured throughout the century. and is totally up-to-date at all times in the treatment of mental health.

This article was written by the author Keila Cristina ( [email protected] ), a clinical psychoanalytic psychologist for 10 years, passionate about psychoanalysis and psychoanalyst in training at IBPC.