FREUD (1).doc.docx

 THE CONSCIOUS VS. THE SUBCONSCIOUSOne of Freud's initial theories on the levels of consciousness was that there were merely two states: the consciousand the unconscious. He emphasized the importance of those mental processes which took place in theunconscious, as being responsible for many aspects of human behavior; for instance, a man might thinkCONSCIOUSLY that his bumping into a woman was purely accidental in nature, but actually it may have actuallybeen a manifestation of his UNCONSCIOUS sexual desire for her, as he managed to invade her intimate spaceand has brought his body into a sort of forceful contact with hers (perhaps an act symbolic of sexual intercourse). Freud came to find this "black or white" definition of consciousness to be unsuitable, however, and redefined histheory on consciousness, incorporating a third level: the pre-conscious. The conscious level of mental activity isthe level on which all thought processes occur. What one thinks, conceptualizes, or understands takes place on thislevel of activity. The pre-conscious is where information is stored away, but is easily obtainable. Fond memoriesand the knowledge of how to perform day-to-day activities are examples of information stored at this level. Theunconscious is where memories and information are stored which cannot be accessed readily. Most of a person'spast history is stored on this level of consciousness, as well as those thoughts and memories which have been putout of mind in order to preserve a person's mental stability and/or to prevent pain (repressed).Perhaps the best way to illustrate these three levels of consciousness, and the way in which they function, is tocompare it to computer technology - the way in which Windows 95 operates, for example. The conscious would bethe page which is maximized on the screen: It's the page on which all the information you are currently processingis, and is very visible as it takes up most of the screen. The pre-conscious is the pages which are minimized: Thepages contain information which you may well need to refer back to from time to time, and can easily be maximized(brought into the main screen, or the conscious) by clicking on them. The unconscious is that information which isnot currently in use, but stored in the background on the hard drive: The majority of the information on yourcomputer lies here, and all of it is very important, but to access it you must search through your computer for it andactivate it, which is far more difficult a task than merely clicking a button on the bottom of the screen, and anactivity in which you will not engage unless it is an absolute necessity to access that information. Everything youdo on your computer will most likely end up in the hard drive, and your programs are probably interacting with theinformation in the hard drive constantly, though you may not see evidence of it on the screen.ID, EGO, AND SUPEREGOFreud also noticed the many conflicts within thought and mental processes, and the seeming battle between levelsof consciousness led him to define these forces. He identified three distinct forces, which he referred to as the id,ego, and superego.Freud defined the id as the drive within us to bring ourselves pleasure (the pleasure principle). The id is concernedwith satiating all basic urges from thirst and hunger to sexual desire, and is determined to attain satisfaction at anycost. People act on the id alone when first born, and as time progresses, they learn to suppress these desires in theinterest of conventionality; they realize that a person cannot merely have whatever he/she wants whenever he/shewants it, and that the individual must act in accordance with society. A person who is very spontaneous, hedonistic,or self-centered may be a product of their id, and the inability/unwillingness to repress or suppress it. The desiresof the id are often placed in the subconscious, and can manifest in dreams in order to bring about wish fulfillment,so that the individual is not psychologically damaged by the constant suppression of these thoughts and the inabilityto relieve the tension that causes.The ego is what brings about one's understanding that one is a part of a society, and cannot always satisfy theurges of the id. The ego does not necessarily ignore the id, but rather governs and controls it. It often devises aplan to obtain that which the id desires; for example, responding to hunger by waiting until lunch-time and going tothe store to buy a sandwich, the ego has satisfied the will of the id, but done so in a controlled manner, rather thanravenously seeking out food when hunger is first sensed. The ego is often seen as being responsible for practicaland rational decision making.The superego governs over all of these, and is often seen as the conscience. The superego is concerned with thelong-term ramifications of actions, adherence to what is "right and wrong," and producing pride or guilt as a resultof one's actions. The superego is often more a product of society than the individual, as society dictates what isacceptable and unacceptable behavior; it often tends to direct the individual to act in a way which is viewed aspositive by society, even if at the expense of personal satisfaction.It is clear that the mind is very rarely dominated by merely one of these forces, due to the fact that by nature theyoften conflict; one can see that the need to provide satisfaction with disregard for society (the id) is a polar oppositeof the need to satisfy the will of society with disregard for the individual (the superego). The purpose of thesedifferent forces would seem to be providing a "check and balance" system for the mind, and insuring mentalstability and personal wellbeing.Oedipal ComplexFreud's theory of the Oedipal Complex takes its name from the title character of Sophecles' Oedipus. In thislegendary Greek drama, Oedipus comes to kill his father and marry his mother. Freud theorizes that inherent inevery newborn child is the urge to engage in sexual acts with the parent of the opposite sex, and kill the parent ofthe same sex. Actually, his theory seemed more to imply that this applied to males rather than females, and thatthe mother was desired and the father envied. It is now acknowledged that females can be effected in the sameway, and this is referred to as the Electra Complex.The reasoning for the incestual attraction is most likely due to proximity: As the child first develops a sense ofsexuality, at the early age of three, the parents are two of the few within the child's social circle. It could beassumed that a child would develop a similar complex if raised by and aunt and uncle, or was adopted. Nevertheless, the sexual desire develops for the opposite sex parent, as probably for the reason above, andhostility develops for the same sex parent due to the fact that this individual stands in the way of fulfillment of thisdesire, and takes attention away from the child. Jealousy, therefore, is the reason behind this hostility.The Oedipus/Electra complex is the foundation for many of Freud's theories. He argued that every child was facedwith the task of mastering the id's urges for the incestual relations of the Oedipal Complex, and that a failure tomaster the tendencies resulted in a basis for neurosis. However, one must wonder if it is at all possible to actuallycome to a mastery of the Complex, or a resolution of the conflicts it creates. Often times, it would seem that theurges are never completely overcome, and rather are merely repressed.Many situations may arise which bring the Oedipal urges rushing to the surface. For instance, when parentsdivorce, an opportunity suddenly arises for the child to satisfy the desires, as there is no longer a bond between theparents which locks the child out. Similarly, the death of a parent creates an opening as well, and perhaps this ismagnified by the emotional tenderness of the parent. A parent pursuing a relationship after divorce or death canbring about these urges again, with magnified anger and anxiety, because the child once again witnesses the chanceto fulfill the urge being stolen away.STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENTFreud theorized that the human personality developed in stages based upon the ability to experience sexualpleasure, and the way in which sexuality played a role in the individual's life. Freud's theory on the psychosexualdevelopment of the child stated that sexuality first arose in the form of erogenous zones, meaning that the pleasurefrom a particular part of the body being stimulated was the most dominant source of sexual arousal. Sexuality wasalways a central theme in much of Freud's work, and his emphasis on the sexuality of the young child becamehighly evident in his theory of the Oedipal Complex. This was, in his era, a taboo within a taboo, as childhood wasviewed as a time of innocence and not of lust and sexual desire. However, much of his theory remains accepted inregards to this method of development.ORAL STAGEThis is the shortest of the stages of psychosexual development, lasting only from birth until the age of one. Thepleasure of an infant is derived form stimulus of the mouth. Breastfeeding can be seen as a major factor in thereasoning behind this, as a child's food and drink is delivered through the mother's breast, an acknowledged sexualobject. Regardless of whether the child is actually breastfed or not, however, it learns to appreciate the acts ofeating and drinking, as well as sucking and "gumming" or chewing. The infant's obsession with making gurglesand noises can also be attributed to the logic of the Oral Stage. Food and drink gain a special symbolism in thisstage, as being representative of love. A failure to progress past this stage for the most part, results in an oralfixation, a need to chew or use the mouth constantly (sometimes not being breastfed is linked to the failure toprogress past this stage, and the development of fixations). Demonstrations of oral fixations are smoking, chewingpens and pencils and such, nailbiting, constant bubble gum chewing, and gregariousness. Overeating or drinkingmay also be a sign of oral fixation, or an attempt to fill an emotional emptiness inside with love, symbolically.ANAL STAGEThis stage lasts from the age of one to the age of three, and is related to the child attaining the ability to control itsurination and bowel movements. The child is instilled with the social values which come to govern the ego andsuperego, and teach the child when and how excretion is acceptable. The child often takes much pride in thisability, and can begin to feel a strong attachment to its stool, failing to see it as an inanimate object or an entity notconnected to the child in some way. Also, the child may begin to realize the power over parents who can be attainedthrough this ability, and demonstrates this control by refusing to perform these functions at all, or sometimesexcreting in inappropriate situations (e.g. in public). A failure to progress past the latter results in a fixation knownas anal expulsiveness, where the individual becomes excessively sloppy and non-conforming. A failure to progresspast the former results in a fixation known as anal retentiveness, in which the individual becomes obsessively cleanand orderly, and very conforming.PHALLIC STAGEThis stage lasts from age three to age five. The focus of this stage is upon the realization of the genitals as anerogenous zone. Masturbation and genital fondling arise in this stage, as well as the Oedipal/Electra Complex. This stage of the Freud's theory is perhaps the most challenged, due to its extreme misogyny. As is evident in thename of the stage, women are demeaned by Freud in this stage particularly, and his own misogynistic tendenciesbecome clear. He admitted an ignorance to much of the females' motivations, yet went on to postulate "penisenvy," which he said arose in this stage. Penis envy was said to be the female's realization that she, and otherwomen, did not possess a penis, and hence became envious of men and were scarred in a way from which theynever fully recovered. Men who fail to progress past this stage develop a fixation known as phallic character,which is responsible for the formation of a narcissistic personality. Freud was unclear on women's possiblefixations resulting from this stage: It was implied that women never progressed past this stage fully and maintaineda sense of inferiority from this point on.LATENCY STAGEThis stage lasts from the end of the phallic stage until puberty. Sexuality seems to almost die off at this point. Itlies dormant as the child experiences the many other aspects of life. Children learn to concentrate on school,same-sex friendships, sports, etc…. Essentially the sexuality becomes secondary to permit the child to absorb asmuch of the world as possible until the child becomes capable of reproduction, which is when the stage ends. Freudseems not to have associated a fixation with this period, but it may be inferred that frigidity could stem from thisstage not being mastered.GENITAL STAGEThis stage begins at puberty, and is assumed to last from this point on. It is the renewal of sexual interest, thepursuit of relationships, and increased sensuality and desire. There are no fixations associated with this stage, as itis the final stage and signifies a completion of development. It is the existence of past fixations which becomeproblematic in this stage, as the energy spent on these during the latency period mat have prevented the child fromacquiring the foundations for skills to maintain healthy relationships.DEFENSE MECHANI The conflicts which exist between the id, ego, and superego undoubtedly result in some degree of anxiety or stress. Without a mechanism of protection against this anxiety, it could present a threat to mental health and stability. Todeal with anxiety, the ego employs what are known as defense mechanisms. We often use these mechanismssubconsciously in our lives, and it is normal and healthy to do so - to a degree. To use defense mechanisms inexcess is unhealthy not only due to the fact that they require "psychic energy," and can eventually becomestressful themselves, but excessive use of defense mechanisms may lead to hiding from issues and problems asopposed to dealing with them (also a significant source of anxiety).DENIALThis is one of the most common defense mechanisms. Denial is the act of refusing to accept the realities of asituation. This can often prove unhealthy when denial is not soon replaced by acceptance, because the longer thegravity of a situation is ignored, the more serious it can become; for example, if one is in denial a disease'sdiagnosis, the disease may become worsen as it goes untreated. Disease is perhaps the best example for thisdefense mechanism, as the diagnosis of a disease is the most commonly denied reality, especially in cases wherethe disease is fatal. In fact, denial is acknowledged as the first stage in the process of death and dying (the fivestages being denial, anger, bargaining with God, depression, and acceptance, in that order).DISPLACEMENTThis is another of the most common defense mechanisms. This occurs as a result of repression. When one is notable to release stress, or satisfy the urges of the id, due to circumstance, the resulting anxiety is often displacedonto another person or object innocent of any wrongdoing and disconnected for the situation. Most commonly,displacement takes the form of outward physical or verbal aggression. For example, a boy punished by a teacherat school may deal with his anger toward the teacher by going home and hitting his sister. A stereotypical act ofdisplacement (one which is truly all too common in society) is that of an individual coming home from a job in whichhe/she has been dominated and stressed by an employer, and dealing with the resulting anger by abusing his/herfamily physically and/or emotionally, and demanding to be served and waited on.FANTASYMany are familiar with the act of fantasizing. Perhaps you work at a stressful and tiresome job, dreaming of theday when you will run the company and get to take it easy and order everyone else around. Perhaps you watch anaction movie and envision yourself as a daring hero or heroine. These are examples of fantasy. Fantasy is anormal and acceptable behavior, and can be positive in many ways, such as providing a motivation to achieve. However, on must realize that fantasy and reality are two separate entities, and that fantasizing will neitherresolve conflicts nor bring about self-improvement. One must actively pursue the goals of fantasies in order forthem to become realities.PROJECTIONProjection is similar to denial in that one is unwilling to accept the realities of one's own self. In projection, thefaults and shortcomings, the taboo urges, of an individual are seen not as present in one's self, but rather in others. Often, it is the URGE to perform an unacceptable deed, the will of the id which the ego and superego will notpermit an individual to perform, which is seen as present in others. One's inability to commit an act, and the urge'ssubsequent repression, can manifest itself this way. For example, an employee at a convenience store considersovercharging customers for items, and keeping the difference for himself, but thinks better of it and decides againstit. Suddenly, the employee begins to notice that all of the other workers are doing just that: grossly overchargingcustomers and pocketing the money. Another good example would be that of a man feeling extremely hatefultowards a relative over a petty conflict, but then reluctantly deciding to forget the incident ever happened. Theman then begins to feel that his family no longer loves him, or wishes to do him harm.RATIONALIZATIONIn rationalization, one tries to find a reason or excuse for one's behavior which is more acceptable to the ego andsuperego. Again, one often fabricates a great deal of information as opposed to facing the reality of a situation. This particular defense mechanism works extremely well as it totally rids the individual of any sense of guilt,remorse, or responsibility; therefore, it must be avoided as it tempts the individual to hide from reality. Forexample, a woman is fired for missing an excessive amount of days at work without explanation, and for poorperformance while she was on the job. The real cause of the problem is the woman's alcoholism, but sherationalizes that it was due to the fact that her boss hated her, the other employees felt threatened by her ability,and that the company discriminates heavily on the basis of sex.REACTION FORMATIONWith this defense mechanism, the individual attempts to compensate for an unacceptable impulse by displaying theTOTAL OPPOSITE of that impulse in great excess. One can often identify the presence of a reaction formation byan incredibly extreme portrayal of emotion, especially if there seems to be in instantaneous change. For example,as often seen in young children, a boy finds a female classmate to be attractive, and grow to be quite fond of her. Afraid of the fact that his male friends may laugh at or insult him for admitting his desire, he becomes verbally andeven physically abusive to her, and begins to treat her with such disrespect that it's as if she is the embodiment ofall that angers him. He may even convince himself that he actually hates the girl. However, though the pressuresand anxieties that would have come with admitting his desire are now absent, his desire remains latent andunresolved. It is for this reason of a failure to bring about resolution that reaction formations can prove to bedangerous.REGRESSIONRegression is the method of reverting back to a behavior that was comforting, enjoyable, or protective in youth. Sometimes the behavior is less "child-like," in that it demonstrates a youthful innocence or free will, than it is"childish," immature and inappropriate. It is commonality of this particular mechanism is much greater in youngerindividuals. It is most common for very young children to revert back to behaviors from their infant years whenthey feel a need to acquire attention, or feel that their sense of undivided love is threatened. An only child wouldbe more susceptible to this, as this "center of attention" feeling they are used to is no longer possible. Events thatmight bring about such an act of regression in a child are the remarriage of a parent after divorce, or even thatparent beginning to date again. The child may begin to whine or cry more often, or begin bedwetting. Adults aremost susceptible to this after severe traumatic experiences, sometimes curling into the fetal position or suckingthumbs, or playing with dolls etc….REPRESSIONThis is the most common of the defense mechanisms, and the basis for many of Freud's theories. Repression isessentially forgetting, but it is not as if the information is disposed of permanently; rather, the information is tuckedaway into the subconscious and has the potential to resurface violently at any moment. The forgetting is used fordefense as it protects the individual from consciously dealing with painful circumstances and events. Sometimesthe act of repression is referred to as "blacking/blocking out." Certain painful events, ranging from blocks ofminutes to hours to days to years, can be "lost," no recollection of the is possible through conscious effort. Incidents of experiencing or witnessing physical pain and/or violence are often forgotten, but significantlytraumatic emotional experiences can be blocked as well. Some instances of repression fall under the category ofparapraxes as well, such as the forgetting of appointments and names.PARAPRAXESMany of us are familiar with the concept of parapraxes, but are simply unfamiliar with the technical name given to them byFreud. The concept is so common that it was the focus of one of his most popular works, the appropriately titled"Psychopathology of Everyday Life." Obviously, the household name by which we now know these came about posthumously,and there is no way in which Freud could ever have guessed that parapraxes would become a concept so popular that theywould be given his namesake: Freudian Slips.Freud argued that parapraxes were those things which were commonly referred to as mistakes, but were actually themanifestation of subconscious truths and intentions. There are many different types of parapraxes, but the type we are mostfamiliar with are misspeakings, or slips of the tongue. An example of this type of parapraxes might be when a man is talking toa woman whom he feels sexual desire or romantic interest for, and instead of saying "organism," says "orgasm." Obviously, thiswould be an embarrassing situation, but what happened was his desire, which he may have consciously hid or subconsciouslyrepressed, manifested itself in his words. Sometimes one may not even notice that one has made such a mistake, but it is oftenvery evident to all who hear it. The meaning behind parapraxes is usually quite clear, and not difficult to interpret. Parapraxesquite similar to this are miswritings and mistypings, which operate the same way as misspeakings in that one expresses asubconscious element while one communicates.The act of forgetting, Freud says, is in many ways like the act of repression; in repression, one either intentional orsubconsciously forgets something as a defense mechanism, because the memory of such a thing causes great discomfort. Evenin such instances as the forgetting of someone's name when speaking to them, Freud contends that, "by the side of simple caseswhere proper names are forgotten there is a type of forgetting which is motivated by repression." However, the forgetting of aname is not the only forgetting which falls under the classification of parapraxes; the misplacing of an item, for instance, is alsojust as relevant, and Freud contends that, especially in those odd cases where one loses something for a long time and theneventually just happens upon it, the person was motivated subconsciously to remove the object from view due to the connectingof that object with a person or event which would desirably be forgotten, and it was the resolution of this problematic event orthe clearing of any tension that permitted the person to locate the lost item. Misunderstandings are more the category under which the classic "Freudian Slip" would fall, as well as acts of miswriting,mishearing, or misreading. These mistakes are often felt to reveal what the person making the mistake is REALLY thinking, orwhat the person wishes to express subconsciously. Freud says that these mistakes are often caused by an influence fromanother element in the chain of thought, an anticipation of a word or sound, the emergence of what one's true intention is, orthrough an outside interference. Interestingly enough, Freud reports that the instance of such occurrences arises while a personreaches lower states of consciousness, such as being very tired or intoxicated. Finally, the "accidents," as simple as tripping or stumbling, Freud feels are also a manifestation of repressed or subconsciousfeelings into a physical act. He feels that these may have to do with fantasies which involve losing control of motor skills andbodily equilibrium, usually for sexual purposes. The most common and obvious sexually motivated "accident," however, isbumping into someone, because this allows for the people to enter into each other's intimate space, the small radius around thebody which only loved ones can enter without causing great discomfort. Conversely, accidents which cause the person toinjure him or herself are often either to bring upon sympathy and attention, and accidents which hurt another are oftensubconscious "actings out" of hostility. Freud also links the breaking of objects, by dropping them and such, to repression andthe desire to have such objects removed from one's life. ................
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