The Unconscious Mind

The “Unconscious Mind”Freud compared the mind to an iceberg. He believed

the “conscious mind” is the tip of the iceberg: these are

the thoughts were are aware of. The submerged part of the iceberg is the “unconscious mind” - the desires and memories that

we don’t actively think about.

Conscious Mind: Active Thoughts

Unconscious Mind: The things buried in our minds that we don’t think about.

Id, Ego, SuperegoAccording to Freud, the id, ego, and superego are the three parts of the

human mind.He believed that the id is fully unconscious. The Ego and Superego are partially

conscious.

Ego

Id

Super-ego

Conscious Mind

Unconscious Mind

The area directly below the surface of the water is called the “preconscious mind,”

because although it is currently unconscious, it can easily be brought to our awareness.

PsychoanalysisWhat’s in the

“unconscious mind”?Some of the information in our unconscious mind is so disturbing that the

mind automatically buries it away (suppresses it) so

we do not have to remember it and face it.

Freud believes these buried things impact our behavior and emotional

states.

Ego

Id

Super-ego

Conscious Mind

Unconscious Mind

Traumatic life experiences (especially from childhood)Socially unacceptable desires (especially sexual desires and the desire to harm others)Childish desires (such as the desire for attention)

One of Freud’s biggest contributions to the

field of Psychology was psychoanalysis - the

“talking cure.”

Freud believed that our emotional and

behavioral problems are due to repressed

desires and negative life experiences that we keep buried in our unconscious minds.

The idea is that if we talk to a therapist, the act of talking itself can provide clues about what’s hidden in our unconscious. It might even force us to talk about things we don’t normally think about.

Becoming more aware of our hidden desires

and difficult life experiences is like

medicine: it helps us grow.

Hello Josh - thanks for coming in for another psychotherapy session. Today, let’s talk about your parents. Can you tell me

about them?

Hmm, ok. My parents moved to this country when I was a baby.

They were nice, usually supportive people.

Was there ever a time when they were not supportive?

One time I wrote a play. I asked my mom to watch it first before performing for my

friends. I remember she said, “Josh, your voice sounds like a mouse,” so I tried to make my voice deeper but I couldn’t. I

threw my play away and never performed it for anyone else.

Once my girlfriend made a joke about her voice being lower-

pitched than mine.

Huh. I never realized it before, but lots of people have made me feel bad about my voice. I wonder if that’s related to my fear of speaking in crowded

places?

Hm. I’m noticing a pattern - you seem to mention your voice a lot during our conversations.

Has anyone else ever commented on the sound of

your voice?

Releasing the UnconsciousOther psychologists invented ways to help reveal the thoughts in a patient’s unconscious mind. Carl Jung

worked alongside Sigmund Freud, and agreed with the idea that the unconscious mind impacts our behavior. He used word association to help learn more about

what might be going on in a patient’s mind.

I’m going to say a word, and without

pausing, you say the first word new

that comes into your mind.

Squeaky

Heart

Mouse

Night

Quiet

Pound

Word AssociationThe goal of word association is to see if there are any interesting patterns in the types of words you choose, or to see if you say something that reveals interesting

information about yourself.

Grandma

Evil Wait a minute… why did I say that?

Word Association

Let’s try it! 1. I will give you a word…

2. Write down the next new word that enters your mind in the space provided in your notes.

3. At the end, you can re-read your answers to see if they reveal anything about your unconscious mind.

Releasing the UnconsciousHermann Rorschach also lived alongside Freud.

He created a new association test that asked patients to interpret symmetrical ink blot pictures.

The Rorschach TestPatients are shown an image made from ink blots, and are asked to freely describe what the blots look like and how the image makes them feel. Afterward, the

examiner asks the patient questions like, “why do you think the image looks like that?” and takes notes on

how the patient responds. The responses (both verbal and non-verbal) are analyzed to see if they reveal

anything about the patient’s personality or motives.

The examiner uses their knowledge of behavioral problems and personality traits to analyze the patient’s responses. They look for

symptoms of common disorders like psychopathy, they listen for pauses which could indicate confusion or shock, and they look for patterns.

Original Ink Blots

* Rorschach made these inkblots himself

What do you see?

It looks like two birds with long beaks facing opposite

directions…

Word Association

Let’s try it! 1. I will show you an image…

2. Describe what you see in the space provided in your notes.

3. At the end, you can re-read your answers to see if they reveal anything about your unconscious mind.

Conclusions

• Psychoanalysis continues to be practiced by psychiatrists, social workers, and other mental health professionals; however, its practice is less common today than in the past.

• A common critique is that it relies too much on the subjective interpretation made by the therapist. There’s no qualitative data or official scientific process involved in analyzing someone.

Conclusions• Even though many people think Freud’s ideas

were wrong, a lot of people still find that the “talking cure” helps them feel better…

Summary: