Freud.We live in a Freudian world whether we like it or not. Everyday people use phrases in conversations which come from Freud without even realising, his presence over the years has become more and more.
It's easy to say that Freud had some crazy ideas and theories although all very interesting.
He believed that problems of humanity could be solved with psychoanalysis, that our minds were not in control; he disagreed with Locke's idea that we were born with a clean slate and learnt as we grew. He thought that sex was a central motivator and was involved with every part of our lives, causing us to see phallic symbols. He went as far to say that architects would without realising create buildings which looked like penises.
His penis thinking went on to penis envy. He described this as when a young girl realises she does not have a penis she believes this is because she has been castrated due to something she has done. This results in her loving her father and rejecting her mother because she also has no penis due to castration.
He thought that our "self love" was a barrier to science. It barred the idea that the Earth wasn't the centre of the universe, Darwin's theory of evolution and the idea that the conscious brain is not in charge.
Freud divided the mind into three parts which were all in deadly conflict.
- ID (unconscious)
this part is incapable of language, only communicating with symbols. For example when we see a banana our ID is thinking 'penis'. We have this from when we are born, its our animal/instinct part of ourselves and operates on pleasure. - EGO (self, conscious)
this part is aware of reality. - SUPER EGO
this is the 'policeman in our head' which keeps us civilised and abiding by the rules of parents and society.
Freud thought that all of our problems begin during childhood and if they were not sorted out at the time then we would become stuck. According to Freud there are five stages of development:
- Oral Stage
involves the mouth. He thought that premature weaning would create a problem like smoking or eating too much. - Anal
if problems occurred here we would become compulsive (this is an example of the words used in conversation linking to Freud.) - Phallic Phase
being obsessive with the penis and wanting a sexual relationship with your mother. The Oedipus Complex links with this, its when there is a desire to sleep with your mother and kill your father, but there is a danger as your father is bigger and stronger than you so you're worried he will castrate you. Once you learn to back off the issue is resolved. - Latency
sex becomes UN important until puberty - Gentiles
obsessed with!
Freud said that the constant battle between the Super Ego, Ego and ID caused repression and made us ill. He had defence mechanisms for this:
Sublimination - diverting the sexual energy into something else such as sport or art.
Displacement - when you're angry with something, move the anger to something else.
Projection - sending feelings onto others, for example you're at a bus stop after a night out and a drunk man says 'what are you looking at?' you reply 'nothing' but the man persists and asks if you're looking for a fight.
Rationalisation - hitting children for their own good.
Freud said that;
- Psychoanalysis tries to bring out things that you're hiding with in yourself, this is done by hypnosis. When discussing things with free association the Super Ego relaxes and you express things you never even knew you were troubled with.
Within dreams where the Super Ego is asleep the ID communicates with us. We can never escape the ID, sex and aggression can only be controlled. - As a society we want to be dominated and there is a fear that no one is in control. We are craving for a parent figure now that God is dead!
- When in a crowd we give our sexual feelings to the leader and all our aggressive feelings are used away from the crowd - Nazi?
Scientists attacked Freud claiming that all of his claims were too vague and never really science. There is no proof that psychoanalysis works. Now there is no need for Freud as we have Nero science like MRI scans which can measure activity of the brain.
There are three areas of the brain
- Reptilian Brain
this keeps the body functioning. It could be compared to Freud's Sub Conscious - we can't control what it tells us to think/do. For example breathing. - Limbic System
controls our emotions. Linked to Freud's ID perhaps? - Neo Cortex
the most complex, controlling language and planning. Freud's conscious?
Reich.
Once a follower of Freud's but then he didn't believe that his methods were effective. He thought that people were generally good, it was society which forced and suppressed us - making us ill and dangerous. He thought that our underlying energy was sex, more orgasms meant happiness.
Basically Freud wanted us to keep our feelings in as they were very dangerous whereas Reich wanted us to let it all hang out! Having sex whenever and where ever we could makes us free.
Wow. What a lecture.
