Question

Homework: complete Freud "Interpretation of Dreams" assignment Identify and explain one example of each of the following theories at work in the article: Transference, projection, repression, conscious mind, unconscious mind 2) Why was Freud unsure about whether or not he should treat Irma? 3) What were the circumstances surrounding the dream Freud had about treating patients? 4) What were some of the explanations Freud gave about his interpretation of this dream?

Answer 1

Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theory to understand the basis of personality, introduced the concept of 'interpretation of dreams' to acknowledge the underlying thoughts that drives one's behaviour.

Tranference, is when a client projects his feelings, both negative and positive onto the analyst depending on his past experience. For instance, the analyst reminds the client about a person she had known in the past who was trust worthy, the client is most likely to automatically trust the analyst depending on her past experience.

Projection, is when an individual has uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, and project them onto another person. For instance, the client may not like the analyst, however, instead of saying it upright, the client accuses the analyst of not liking him and being indifferent towards him.

Sigmund Freud in his theory of psychoanalysis proposed the topographical model of the mind. Freud suggested that the human mind functions at three levels of awareness. The conscious mind, subconscious and the unconscious. Every individual goes through stressful situations in life. However, Freud suggested that every individual exercises different defense mechanisms which suit them the best to cope up with those stressful events. One of the defense mechanisms executed by most people is repression. Repression includes repressing or pushing down the feelings and thoughts that you make feel miserable. The repressed thoughts, feelings and memories are said to be embedded in the unconscious. Those thoughts or traumatic experiences are not forgotten whereas they are repressed in unconscious. The material repressed in the unconscious is the major cause behind individuals developing anxiety disorders. The reason to their anxiety is unknown to them. The material from the unconscious mind cannot be recollected or remembered. It does not surface to the conscious mind on it's own. Various techniques and ways are used to reveal the material from the unconscious mind. It includes, psychotherapy, dream analysis, free association, hypnosis and projective techniques. All of these techniques help reveal the thoughts and feelings that perhaps even an individual himself would be unaware of holding within.