Psychoanalysis :: Psychoanalytic Theory and Methods

depth psychology is a system of psychology originated by the Viennese physicianSigmund FREUD in the 1890s and then further developed by himself, his students,and early(a) followers. It consists of three kinds of think activities (1) amethod for research into the human mind, especially inner experiences such asthoughts, feelings, emotions, fantasies, and dreams (2) a systematicaccumulation of a body of intimacy about the mind and (3) a method for thetreatment of psychological or emotional disorders.Psychoanal retentiveysis began with the discovery that HYSTERIA, an illness with physicalsymptoms that occurred in a completely healthy physical body--such as a numbnessor paralysis of a limb or a loss of component or a blindness--could be caused by unconscious(p) wishes or disregarded memories. (Hysteria is now commonly referred toas conversion disorder.) The French neurologist jean Martin CHARCOT tried to ridthe mind of undesirable thoughts through hypnotic suggestion, but without lasting success. Josef Breuer, a Viennese physician, achieved better results byletting Anna O., a young woman patient, try to empty her mind by equitable tellinghim all of her thoughts and feelings.Freud refined Breuers method by conceptualizing theories about it and, employthese theories, telling his patients through interpretations what was going oninside the unconscious break in of their minds, thus making the unconscious becomeconscious. Many hysterias were cured this way, and in 1895, Breuer and Freudpublished their findings and theories in Studies in Hysteria.CLASSIC PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY tralatitious psychoanalytical theory states that all human beings argon born withinstinctual drives that are constantly active even though a person is usuallynot conscious of thus being driven. Two drives--one for inner pleasure, calledlibido, the other called aggression--motivate and propel most behavior. In theinfant, the libido first manifests itself by making suction an activity wit hpleasurable sensations in the mouth. Later similar pleasures are go through inthe anus during bowel movements, and finally these erotically tinged pleasuresare experienced when the intimate organ is manipulated. Thus psychosexualdevelopment progresses from the oral through the anal to the phallic stage.(Phallic, in psychoanalytic theory, refers to both male and female sexualorgans.)During the height of the phallic phase, about ages three to six, theselibidinous drives focus on the parent of the opposite sex and lend an eroticcast to the notification between mother and son or between father and daughter, the supposed Oedipus COMPLEX. However, most societies strongly disapprove of thesesexual interests of children. A TABOO on incest rules universally. Parents,therefore, influence children to push such pleasurable sensations and thoughtsout of their conscious minds into the unconscious by a process called repression.