Psychoanalysis is a field that explores how hidden, or unconscious, parts of our minds influence our conscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Founded in the 1890s by Sigmund Freud, it proposes that much of our mental life operates outside of awareness, shaped by early childhood experiences and internal conflicts.
The central model divides the psyche into three parts: the id (primitive drives and instincts), the ego (the rational, reality-oriented part), and the superego (internalized societal rules and morals).
These parts often come into conflict, especially when the ego tries to manage the demands of both the id and the superego.
Psychoanalysis sees mental problems as resulting from unresolved past traumas, which the mind tries to keep unconscious through defense mechanisms like repression—a kind of mental “blocking.”
To help people, psychoanalytic therapy uses talk techniques like free association (saying whatever comes to mind) and dream interpretation, aiming to bring hidden thoughts and feelings to light so the ego can manage them more realistically.
Influential ideas include the Oedipus complex (a child’s unconscious feelings toward parents), the importance of sexuality, and the idea that our psychic energy, or libido, comes in both life-affirming (Eros) and destructive (death drive) forms.
Though debated as a therapy, psychoanalysis remains important in psychology and culture, shaping how we think about minds, development, symbols in dreams, and the link between early experiences and adult life.
Online Resources
- Psychoanalysis / Wikipedia
- Psychoanalysis: Freud’s Psychoanalytic Approach to Therapy / SimplyPsychology
- How Psychoanalysis Influenced the Field of Psychology / Verywell Mind
- Psychoanalysis / Psychology Today
Please Note: This is my personal summary of the topic, shared both for my own records and in the hope it may be helpful to you. AI was used in parts to assist with the process.