Freudian Basics
Many of the concepts in psychiatry and psychotherapy are based on ideas first developed by Sigmund Freud in the early 1900’s. Freud proposed that the subconscious mind has three components: the ‘id’, the ‘super ego’, and the ‘ego’. He proposed that unresolved conflicts among these three mental components were the main source of mental stress and instability.
The id
Freud’s id represents our most primitive needs. The id has instinctual urges of sexuality, aggression, and the need for instant gratification. When you sense urges such as ‘I need it; I want it, now!’ Freud would say you are being prompted by your id.
The superego
According to Freud, the superego provides your basic sense of morality to counteract the impulsive id. The superego develops during early childhood encounters with moral and ethical expectations. In adults, the superego acts as the moral agent that links your conscious and unconscious minds.
The ego
The ego utilizes subconscious personality traits to represent your conscious self, and acts as a balance between the id and superego. The ego provides your ability to adapt to reality and helps you to interact successfully with the exterior world. Your ego has much to do with the mental image you have of yourself and how you think others perceive you. Efforts to protect one’s ego and preserve ‘face’ dominate much of human social activity.
The details of Freud’s structural model of personality have been challenged, debated, discredited, resurrected, and modified for several decades. The model of mental stress created by internal conflicts is still generally accepted and is often used as a basis for corrective psychoanalysis.
Freud’s work has two important implications for clear thinking. First, he pioneered the concept of a three-level subconscious mind. The concept of a three-level subconscious mind will be utilized in section 7.2. Second, Freud emphasized that conflicts in the subconscious can lead to internal stress and poor thinking. A summary of techniques to reduce internal conflicts and make better use of the subconscious is presented in section 7.4.
Many of the concepts in psychiatry and psychotherapy are based on ideas first developed by Sigmund Freud in the early 1900’s. Freud proposed that the subconscious mind has three components: the ‘id’, the ‘super ego’, and the ‘ego’. He proposed that unresolved conflicts among these three mental components were the main source of mental stress and instability.
The id
Freud’s id represents our most primitive needs. The id has instinctual urges of sexuality, aggression, and the need for instant gratification. When you sense urges such as ‘I need it; I want it, now!’ Freud would say you are being prompted by your id.
The superego
According to Freud, the superego provides your basic sense of morality to counteract the impulsive id. The superego develops during early childhood encounters with moral and ethical expectations. In adults, the superego acts as the moral agent that links your conscious and unconscious minds.
The ego
The ego utilizes subconscious personality traits to represent your conscious self, and acts as a balance between the id and superego. The ego provides your ability to adapt to reality and helps you to interact successfully with the exterior world. Your ego has much to do with the mental image you have of yourself and how you think others perceive you. Efforts to protect one’s ego and preserve ‘face’ dominate much of human social activity.
The details of Freud’s structural model of personality have been challenged, debated, discredited, resurrected, and modified for several decades. The model of mental stress created by internal conflicts is still generally accepted and is often used as a basis for corrective psychoanalysis.
Freud’s work has two important implications for clear thinking. First, he pioneered the concept of a three-level subconscious mind. The concept of a three-level subconscious mind will be utilized in section 7.2. Second, Freud emphasized that conflicts in the subconscious can lead to internal stress and poor thinking. A summary of techniques to reduce internal conflicts and make better use of the subconscious is presented in section 7.4.
