The Structure of the Mind Freud’s so-called structural hypothesis proposes three different “force-fields” in the human mind: id, ego and superego. These psychological structures correspond approximately to desire, reason and conscience respectively, although the last mentioned is only half of … Continue reading →
Levels of Consciousness In what is sometimes termed his topographical hypothesis, Freud viewed the mind as like an iceberg, with its main mass below the threshold of awareness. The lesser conscious portion is concerned with immediate data – what is … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Pt7 Later Years The final 20 years of Freud’s life were blighted by many difficult experiences. His second daughter, Sophie, died in 1920, aged only 26, to be followed by her son (Freud’s favourite grandson) three … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Pt6 Such early writings began to attract a following from kindred minds in allied professions. Hence, after an extended period of working in isolation, Freud began once again to collaborate with others, and the Wednesday Psychological … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Pt 5 Development of Psychoanalysis Additional momentum in the evolution of psychoanalysis may have gathered from Freud’s own troubles. Occurrences such as the death of his father in 1896, the illnesses of his children, financial difficulties, … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Pt 4 By 1896, Freud had arrived at the conclusion that hysteria and other neurotic complaints were reactions to traumatic experiences of a sexual nature occurring in early childhood (generally, before the age of eight). He … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Pt 3 The experiences with Charcot set the scene for Freud’s gradual transition from neurology to clinical psychology. In 1886, he commenced a private practice in neuropathology, though saw many patients clearly suffering from underlying psychological … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Pt 2 In 1873, Freud enrolled in biology and medicine at the University of Vienna. Specialist subjects became histology (the study of organic tissues) and neurophysiology (the study of the nervous system). Freud hoped to pursue … Continue reading →
Who Was Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud was born on 6th May 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire (now Pribor in the Czech Republic). His father, Jakob Freud (1815-1896), was a Jewish wool merchant, whose marriage to Freud’s … Continue reading →
Who Was Fritz Perls Pt 3 In 1927, Fritz Perls moved to Vienna, because it was the place to be, for anyone involved in the psychoanalytic world. As time went by, Perls became increasingly dissatisfied with Freudian theory and practice, … Continue reading →
