Dr Navodita explores Freud’s psychoanalysis, emphasising how understanding our subconscious through the interplay of dreams, Id, Ego, and Superego can enhance our lives, exclusively for Different Truths.
Sigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis. There are a lot of things to learn from some of his key concepts, including past-life regression analysis, self-hypnosis, and the notions around subconscious programming. Here are some key concepts of Freud that can help us understand our world better and help us lead more organised lives:
Dreams are important
When we dream, we often don’t remember them or forget about them once we wake up. However, dreams are your pathway to the subconscious mind and are almost a reflection of the chatter that goes within your subconscious. It is a symbolic representation of our mysterious desires, hidden dreams, ambitions, past experiences, fears, and apathies. We must try to unravel them and make them work for our benefit. The Silva Method is how to debunk the myths around your dreams and interpret them to use them constructively.
Theory of Id, Ego and Superego
Freud proposed that our personality consists of three parts: the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. The Id is our instinctual desire that demands instant gratification; the Ego is our heart trying to fulfill the demands of the Id in a socially acceptable way; and the Superego judges the actions based on societal norms and values—in short, the Superego is the moral compass. Understanding these divisions helps us control our minds better, navigating them towards more positive outcomes.
Train the unconscious mind
Our unconscious mind holds memories, desires, and experiences that are too painful for our conscious mind to remember. It’s important to unlock it through different neuro-manifestation codes, therapies, and simply through neuroplasticity of the brain so we learn to sift painful memories from good ones at a subconscious level.
Don’t ignore defense mechanisms
We often recognise our defence mechanisms working in our favour when we have learned to repress our uncomfortable memory or rationalise a mistake. We should stay aware of our defence mechanisms to better handle our emotional conflict and internal or external stressors.
Embrace childhood memories
Freud believed that our childhood experiences play a critical role in our personality development. Our formative years go deep into the subconscious mind, absorbing everything like a sponge and imprinting it deep within our psyche.
Significance of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is the exploration of interaction between conscious and unconscious elements in the mind. It involves talking about dreams, memories, and experiences so that the hidden parts of our subconscious are uncovered in the process. It offers powerful insights into our fears, desires, behaviours, and much more. It is also a powerful tool that allows us to better understand ourselves and work through any subconscious barriers holding us back in our lives.
So, next time you have an unwanted fear, unfulfilled desire, extreme joy, or sadness, try to investigate your Freudian self to know more about the reasons behind your feelings, emotions, and behaviours with the outer world.
Picture design by Anumita Roy