Works Analysis of Sigmund Freud - Essay Example

Sigmund Freud History documents Sigmund Freud as the father of psychoanalysis. The Austrian neurologist was born in eighteen fifty-six and lived up to nineteen thirty-nine. Psychoanalysis was a movement that advanced the theory that unconscious motives manage much of behavior in a human being. A long the way, the scholar developed interest in hypnotism as well as the ways through which experts would use it to solve mental illnesses. However, following complexities in the that field, he recanted his initial urge and concentrated on free association in addition to dream assessment in the process of creating the current idea dubbed the talking cure. Dream analysis developed to become important elements of psychoanalysis. The current conversion syndrome originally referred to as hysteria formed the major focus for Freud at the time. Freud as s a person, the theories he developed, along with the ways he treated his patients remained controversial from the ninetieth century to date. Today, scholars of psychology still debate on these issues. His works remain important aspects of literature and produce culture besides the continuing debate coming from medical treatises and scientific perspectives. Innovations Freud was influential in related fields but which also remain distinct. Simultaneously, the scholar developed two theories of the human mind and human behavior as well as a clinical approach of helping unhappy people. This was neurotic. People remain divided over the theory that influenced them in their lives. The concept of unconscious remains the most important contribution brought into the academic field by Sigmund Freud. It is important to remember that during the nineteenth century, positivism was the most dominant trend in the Western world. This line of thought held that people could bring together actual knowledge concerning themselves as well as their world (Mannoni, 1968, 78). Therefore, they exercise control over both the real knowledge and the world. Freud rose to the occasion by challenging these claims referring to them as delusions. He held that people are not fully aware of what they even think as such, most of the time; they act after influences out of their control and beyond their conscious thoughts. During its introduction, the concept of unconscious was a constant hit because Freud suggested that awareness existed in a kind of stratum. Furthermore, the academician averred that there are thoughts that take place below the surface. Freud referred to dreams as the royal road to the unconscious. This offered typical examples of the unconscious life of people and formed an integral part in the process of interpreting dreams. He coined the statement that the unconscious exists and moved a step further by developing a mechanism for gaining access to the unconscious mind. He described the Preconscious as a layer occurring between the unconscious thought and the conscious one. It is possible according to him, to access the Preconscious with little input. It is important to understand now that the subconscious is not a psychoanalytical terminology despite the fact scholars use it often. Most people including those opposed much of Freud’s work agree with him that the unconscious mind exists and that occasions are there when people act for reasons beyond their conscious mind. This supporting group entails others still holding on the positivist views and those with rationalist perspectives. Repression is is at the core of unconscious operations. Freud posits that people regularly experience painful feelings and thoughts that remain unbearable. These types of thoughts and feelings together with memories associated with them cannot be forgotten in the mind of a person but it is possible to erase them from consciousness. These elements develop to entail unconscious. While attempting to develop patterns among his patients regarding repression to generate a general mode concerning the mind, Sigmund Freud discovered that individuals repress various things and issues. More so, he realized that the repression process constitutes a non-conscious activity. This means that repression does not takes place via people interested in avoiding particular feelings and thoughts. In his conclusion, the scholar claimed that repressed things were a result of the determined unconscious. In a nut shell, unconscious was both cause and effect of repression. The Austrian neurologist took the responsibility of explaining mechanisms of operation of the unconscious through suggesting that it contained a specific framework. In his proposal, the unconscious has three subcategories encompassing the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id stood in for fundamental thinking process. This entails the primordial need satisfaction type of thoughts among people. On the other hand, the Superego constituted the conscience of people and worked to counter the Id using ethical and moral thoughts. The Ego takes the centre position between the Id and the Superego. Its purpose to strike a balance between primordial desires and the ethical also called moral beliefs. The value of a healthy ego entails offering the capacity to adjust to facts as well as enhance positive relationships with the outside world using means that takes care of both the Superego and the Id. Professionals in other disciplines other than psychology still do not understand the overriding concept that the mind is not a homogeneous or monolithic thing. Most of them reject while others question the process of dividing the mind into three components. To address such doubts, Freud indulged in studying the contemporary relationship among the three sections of the mind. Innate drives propel the dynamism according to Freud. Changes also occur because of the contemporary nature of social relationships. Critics posit that Freud concentrated too much on one or the other of these factors. Surprisingly, those supporting Sigmund Freud continue with the analogy of analyzing one of the other of the same factors. The other area studied by Freud regarded the concept of over determination to take care of many determining causes during the process of deriving meanings from dreams. This was as opposed to relying on model of one-to-one correspondence concerning causes and effects. In his submission, Freud held that two instinctive drives directed human beings. They are the Eros also called libidinal energy and the Thanatos or the instinct of death. Among other descriptions the libido were creative as well as instincts charged with the responsibility of sustaining life. An instinctive force to get back to the position of calm entailed a feature of the death instinct. The academician relied on observing the protozoa to arrive at this conclusion. Critics continue to question the scientific evidence behind this assertion. Freudian Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Psychiatry Sigmund Freud started his career as a trained medical officer and practiced as a human health physician. This was his basis of claiming that his research techniques and conclusions based on scientific aspects. However, many condemned his studies and conclusions during his time. Most were his peers (Bocock, 2002, 41). On the contrary, both his followers and critics do not question his most important contribution that a large portion of conscious actions and thoughts among people use unconscious desires and fear to remain motivated. This assertion discredits the universal and objective suggestions of the universe. Today, psychoanalysis carries the same message and stance as its founding father. According to experts in the field of psychoanalysis, it is important to pursue the same ambivalent relationship with academia and medicine experienced by Freud during his time. Clinical psychologists specialize in attending to mental illnesses and apply the Freudian elements of psychoanalysis in various ways. Others take the initiative to effect changes on the model developing the psychodynamic framework in the process and therapies. Another group that dismisses the Freudian stance on the model of the mind find themselves incorporating components of his therapeutic approach. Simply, unconscious was both caused and effect of repression. The Austrian neurologist took the responsibility of explaining mechanisms of operation of the unconscious through suggesting that it contained a specific framework. In his proposal, the unconscious has three subcategories encompassing the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id stood in for fundamental thinking process. The most common aspect is application of his dependence on the patient talking as a way of preparing therapy. Most critics are experimental psychologists. They do not embrace his theories and approaches. Although they follow the path taken by Freud by training as medical doctors, psychiatrists depend on drugs as opposed to talking when conducting treatment thereby, rejecting the theory of mind. Works Cited Bocock, Robert. Sigmund Freud. London: Routledge, 2002. Print. Mannoni, Octave. Freud. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1968. Print. Read More