The term “psychoanalysis” was first used by the father of psychoanalytic theory, Sigmund Freud, in 1896. The basic presumption of psychoanalytic theory at the time of its conception by Freud was that the unconscious mind greatly impacts behavior, and that within the unconscious are many reasons and explanations as to why people do what they do. Freud believed that there is motivation, whether conscious or unconscious, to explain how people behave and respond in certain situations. Freud’s hypothesis was that by gaining insight, or making conscious their unconscious thoughts and motivations, they could be cured of whatever negative symptoms they might be suffering.
According to Freud, each person’s mind is unique, and is made up of three aspects: the id, the ego, and the superego. In every human, these parts are slightly different and possess different traits which make up a personality (Freud A. , 1992). The id is the most basic and primal part of a person’s mind. It contains a person’s most instinctual needs and desires. The id seeks immediate gratification, and is often responsible for causing impulsive behavior, since it is not aligned with reality or the ramifications of a person’s actions. In short, the id does not recognize the concepts of right and wrong. The ego is a more well-balanced portion of the personality. The ego also seeks pleasure and self-satisfaction, but it knows that not all desires can be fulfilled immediately. The ego operates by something called “the reality principle”, which is how it tries to compromise the desires of the id with what is dictated by reality (Casey, 1972). The superego is the third, most developed aspect of the human personality. It is the part which operates according to societal morals. The superego is the part most commonly associated with a person’s conscience and self-control. Freud believed the superego recognizes the difference between right and wrong, and therefore is what prevents people from living only by what their id and ego seek. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory uses these parts of the personality to explain how the mind operates on a regular basis.
Before the development of Freudian psychology, the common belief was that all of a person’s habits and behaviors are conscious. Upon studying various patients and cases of associates, Freud developed his theory that the unconscious mind can, and often does have a great impact on a person’s daily living (Bargh & Morsella, 2008). This “unconscious” mind is the concept behind what is colloquially referred to as a “Freudian slip”. Essentially, it is believed that someone may express something verbally which seems to be a mistake, but actually stems from the unconscious mind. Dreams which seem random or bizarre are often also thought to be expressing unknown thoughts of the unconscious mind (Freud, 1989). The Interpretation of Dreams is a book by Sigmund Freud which was published in 1899. Freud considered it to be one of his greatest works, and it is in this book that Freud addresses his theory of the unconscious with regard to dreams. Freud realized the significance of dreams when in treatment with patients, who often discussed the dreams occupying their minds even after they’re awake. According to the opinion of Freud, all dreams are a form of wish-fulfillment, and can be interpreted to find meaning (Freud, 1913).
Freud’s friend, Joseph Breuer, was a physician who Freud credited with originating psychoanalysis after Breuer told him, in great detail, the story of Anna O. This is because Anna O. is considered by many, including Freud, to have been the first patient of psychoanalysis (Freud, 1989). Anna O. was a patient of Dr. Breuer who came to him experiencing severe physical symptoms, including paralysis, with no physiological explanation. Initially, Dr. Breuer recognized that Anna would soothe her own distress by creating and sharing stories. This was the origin of what is known as the “talking cure” in psychology. The doctor also noticed her using the same words repeatedly when in a state of hysteria, and repeated them to her while in a state of hypnosis. It was in this state that Dr. Breuer was able to access the girl’s unconscious and find the sources of painful emotions which were triggering physical symptoms. As Anna would tell over a memory and the emotion she felt when experiencing it, the corresponding symptom that originated within that memory would disappear (Launer, 2005). Freud used this case and tried to implement the methods used in his own work, which largely contributed to his development of the psychoanalytic theory.
Alfred Adler was a colleague of Freud, who became the president of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in 1910. He did not get along well with Freud, and was one of the first major figures in psychology who disagreed with Freud’s ideas of psychoanalysis and separated from him to develop his own ideas. The greatest difference between the ideas of Freud and Adler was that Adler believed that external and social factors are equally important in psychology as internal and unconscious factors. Adler also studied the concepts of superiority and inferiority, and strived to remove that dynamic wherever possible because he believed that humans all have one basic desire to fit in and feel important (Carducci, 2016). Carl Gustav Jung was another major contributor to the field of analytical psychology, who was more progressive than Freud and considered additional factors of personality, such as introversion and extraversion. Jung also attributed significance to spirituality and religion, which contradicted Freud’s belief that religion is simply an artificial creation of man designed to fulfill an internal need (Dunne, 2015). Erik Erikson was a developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst who gained the attention of Freud’s daughter, Anna, because of his sensitivity with children. Erikson focused largely on child development and the various stages a child experiences as they mature. He is also well-known for originating ego psychology, a branch of psychoanalysis based on Freud’s id, ego, superego model of the personality. Erikson believed the ego holds a greater role than simply balancing the id, as Freud believed, and that each stage of life presents a new challenge for each person to encounter (Strozier & Offer, 1985).
“Object relations” is the theory referring to how people develop and relate to others around them. The theory is directly based on psychodynamic theory and therefore states that the way an adult relates to others around them is built on life experiences and events that occurred beginning in infancy. Essentially, events during infancy and early years which may not be recalled in the conscious mind are stored permanently in the unconscious mind as objects, and carried through to adulthood (Greenberg & Mitchell, 1983). Anna Freud was the youngest child of Sigmund Freud, and continued into the field of psychology, specializing in child psychology and development. She studied object relations and how children’s environment growing up impacts their development and adult life. Anna Freud built on much of her father’s work, and contributed greatly to ego psychology. It was her opinion that the primary psychological method of defense is repression, a process developed usually as a child (Solnit, 1997). Anna Freud was considered the heir to Freud’s life-work, and she used his thoughts to build and develop her own ideas and theories.
Sigmund Freud paved the road of psychoanalysis, and countless differing theories and schools of thought have grown from the seeds he planted. Many of these ideas disagree with and even contradict Freud’s thoughts, but they stem from his initiative in the field. The human mind is complex, and possibly will never be fully understood, but with each person who dedicates themselves to studying it more is learnt. Every theory is stimulated, challenged, and then further developed because of one before, and psychology is therefore a web of intertwining and ever-expanding knowledge.