Quiz: Intro to Psychoanalytic Theory 1. Which major 19th Century scientist and his theory greatly influenced Freud’s thinking? 2. Freud’s tripartite (3-way) model of the human mind is known as the _________. 3. The part of the mind that the individual is not aware of, that possesses memories and experiences not immediately be brought to awareness is the _______. 4. The part of the mind the individual is aware of and provides contact with the external world is the _____. 5. The part of the mind the individual is not immediately aware of but whose memories can be retrieved by directing one’s attention to it is called ________.

Sigmund Freud: 1856-1939 Father of Modern Psychoanalytic thought Primary Concern? Workings of unconscious Main insight? Personality made up of id, ego, super-ego (a complex) View of religion? An illusion, not real A collective neurosis

Key Questions Why is Freud considered one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century? What is Freud’s Theory of Personality? What is the topographical model? What is the goal of psychoanalysis? How does Freud view/understand religion?

Background: Life Father: struggling Jewish wool merchant Freud never really respected him (ambiguous feelings) Anti-Semitic society Moved to Vienna when he was 4 Complex family relations Influence of Catholic nanny 1873: University of Vienna (95% Catholic) Discriminated, deeply hurt, isolated, wrong race, religion: atheist : deep aversion to Christianity

Background continued 1883: had a medical practice: pioneered electrotherapy and hypletion (water treatment) Had a female patient: “The Talking Therapy” Things that were unconscious were becoming conscious Collected observational case-studies and engaged in self-analysis The Interpretation of Dreams (1900): people thought he was nuts

Freud’s Theory of Personality The Topographical Model: Conscious: connects to external world; small, limited part of mental life Preconscious: where much of work happens: unconscious made conscious Unconscious: dominant force in personality Led to a refinement: Id Ego Super-Ego Key insight: we are governed primarily by unconscious

Personality? “A stable set of tendencies and characteristics that determine those commonalities and differences in people’s psychological behavior (thoughts, feelings, and actions) that have continuity in time and that may not be easily understood as the sole result of the social and biological pressures of the moment” Dr. Madeline Halligan, Fordham University

Key Questions How (in general) do the relationships between id, ego, and super-ego differ between a healthy and a neurotic person? (Defense mechanisms) How does Freud’s Theory of Instinct influence his Theory of Personality? What in Freud’s Theory of Religion can you say yes to? What can you not say yes to?

Other Theories Theory of Instinct: starting point of human behavior Theory of Civilization/Culture: repression of instincts Theory of Religion: illusion; wish followed by a fear; resolution of Oedipal Complex All are key to understanding Freud’s view of human mind and religion

Theory of Instinct Aim of all human activity? satisfaction of instinctual drives: sex and aggression (whether artistic, cultural, religious) Life as continuous cycle of: Instinctual need/desire and resulting tension discharge of instinctual energy-reduction of tension Buildup of instinctual need

Assumptions Satisfaction involves release/discharge of psychic energy and reduction of tension Freud: sees person as torn between conflicting drives or instincts (conflictual, dualistic model) Libido: the sex instinct: two goals: pleasure (release of tension), and procreation Would evolve into his Theory of Eros (life instinct) and Thanatos (death instinct, turned into aggression instinct)

Myers-Briggs Personality Profile Extrovert-Introvert: The way in which you gain energy Intuitive-Sensory: Way in which you take in information Thinking-Feeling: Way you process information Perceiving-Judging: The way in which you utilize information you’ve gathered and processed

Defense Mechanisms Freud: What is our basic problem? Repression: all mechanisms are repressive but repression is a particular form of defense Are all part of ego Ego’s way of coping with anxiety, frustration, unacceptable impulses +/- impacts Positive?: Builds up ego: important

Defense Mechanisms continued Minus?: distorts reality; prevents us from growing emotionally Repression like sweeping the “garbage of our life” under a rug? Distinction between repression and suppression? Repression: unconscious, less reality-oriented Suppression: conscious, more reality based, healthier

Quiz Theory of Religion 1.The primary struggle at the center of civilization, according to Freud is between ______ and _______ 2. According to Freud, religion contribute to the formation of civilization by forcing people to renounce _______ and _______ 3. True or False: Freud believes it is possible to have a healthy form of religious devotion

Quiz Theory of Religion 4. Freud does not label religious beliefs as delusion (false) but as illusion, meaning that ____ is linked to the illusion 5. Freud further understands religion as an obsessional neurosis, and is therefore more an expression of ______ than ______.

Day 6 How does Totemic religions offer insight into Freud’s Oedipal Complex? How do the two great prohibitions in Totemic religions act as the root of civilization and religion?

Mechanisms of Defense Denial Displacement/transference Identification Intellectualization/Isolation Reaction Formation Sublimation *Projection

Mechanisms of Defense and 2 Main Neurotic Styles First: each of us have elements of both Obsessive-Compulsive Case-Study: “Jay” Detailed, dedicated, driven, predictable Sad, anxious, industrious, insecure, self-sufficient Stressed, volatile, distant, rigid, fearful Primary Defense? Intellectualization/Isolation of effect Not in touch with feelings: Thinking, not feeling

Obsessive-Compulsives What do Obs-comps most think of? “I should….” How to treat? How to help grow emotionally, spiritually? Help link actions, events w/his feelings Main characteristics? Aggressiveness, drive, ambitious, concerned with details (Anal personality)

Hysterical Case #2: “Polly” Pretty, popular, social, feeling-type, center of social wheel, Social director of sorority, school performance erratic, lost best friend, grades fell, took year off Sensitive to emotions of family, changed major generally happy; when dark thoughts came, like avalanche

Hysterical Style cont Primary Defense? Repression When analyze emotions, gets worse How to treat/develop emotionally? Move more to thinking Was flunking out: How did she react? Not quite denial but….minimizes, distances (minimization) When emotions come…..powerful, uncontrollable

4-Key Feelings If can change thinking, can change feelings Mad (angry) Glad (joyful) Sad Afraid Example: insult-----anger-----replay over and over Thinking greatly contributes to feelings

Theory of Civilization Purpose? Repression of human aggression and hostility Protect against nature (human and the world), and adjust people’s relations (infected with aggression and hostility to each other) Origin of civilization found between conflict between Eros and death instincts Also leads to rise of religion (Oedipal Complex)

Theory of Religion Illusion, not real, neurosis… Grows out of repression of instincts: specifically, sex and aggression Religion a function of super-ego: socialization of moral beliefs

Theory of Instinct Id is reservoir of instinctual desire in need of satisfaction: real or fantasy world In end, cannot be found in fantasy: impact of internet and virtual reality? Role of Ego: Decides how instinct is to be realistically satisfied Calculates consequences Buffer-zone between impulses of id and real world

Theory of Instinct Super-Ego Inhibits id through moral reasoning of internalized views of parents and society Id: pleasure principle Ego: reality principle Super-Ego: right and wrong principle (moral)

What is our Problem? Repression: ego and super-ego repress desires of id

What is the Goal of Psychoanalysis?

Key Questions, continued Which system (biological, psychological, social) do the id, ego, and super-ego derive from and why?

Freud’s Insight -Personality made up of Id, Ego, Super-ego -id: instinct: sex and aggression -Ego: develops from id: relates us to reality looks for objects to satisfy -Super-ego: the internalization of the values of parents and culture

Freud’s Model