On Dreams

Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis, a process for treating mental illness that involves exploring repressed memories and the unconscious mind. Many Freud scholars curated a vision of Freud’s life as one of solitary genius, but the psychologist’s ideas were heavily influenced by earlier concepts, many of which were outdated in Freud’s time, including Lamarckianism. Much of Freud’s work has been discredited, particularly because it is falsified, meaning that his theories cannot be tested using a scientific method. The psychologist’s ideas about women, sex, and gay men are considered outdated and even offensive; he attributes femininity and being gay to early childhood experiences and the concept of the castration complex. However, Freud’s work has profoundly influenced modern psychology and philosophy, and his theories have permeated popular culture.

Freud’s theories of the Oedipus complex and the superego infiltrated popular knowledge, and literature teachers utilized Freud’s concepts to analyze literary work. Comedians joke about Freudian slips, referring to a malapropism that indicates an unconscious desire, and films like Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 Spellbound feature overt Freudian references. Freud and his ideas are culturally pervasive enough to have been referenced in unlikely places, such as the comedic film Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bob Dylan’s song “My Own Version of You.” Talk therapy has been used to treat many psychological disorders, even if Freud’s initial approaches have been abandoned. In the 1990s sitcom Frasier, the title character runs a radio program in which callers speak to Frasier about their problems. Frasier utilizes talk therapy and professes a love for the work of Freud. The iconic image of the psychologist listening to a patient who is reposed on a couch originated with Freud’s approach. Psychoanalysis often involves the patient recounting various memories and dreams in an unstructured way. The psychoanalyst listens and takes notes, identifying repressed desires and thoughts.

Freud also influenced the treatment of mental illness. Prior to his work, those with mental illness were often referred to psychiatric hospitals. Freud introduced an innovative approach that brought patients into a comfortable office for therapy. Emphasis was placed upon allowing the patient to express themselves, and mental illness was no longer a qualifying condition for total isolation. Psychoanalysis was proven to have a low cure rate, but the approach did change prevailing attitudes about mental illness. Modern psychological therapy finds its roots in psychoanalysis, and many of Freud’s pupils continued his work and contributed to the field of study, including Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Jacques Lacan.

Freud also asserted that childhood memories and experiences have lasting effects on adult life and that the unconscious mind has a cyclical relationship with behavior and action. The mind represses certain ideas and hides them from the conscious mind, making them inaccessible except through symbols—often revealed in dreams—that can be interpreted through analysis. Freud suggests that these repressed thoughts can conflict with conscious desires, initiating a psychological disorder. These ideas were revolutionary when Freud presented them in 1900, and they carry into contemporary psychological fields of study.