There is probably no person in the world who does not hear the name of Sigmund Freud and does not associate him with psychology. However, he was engaged not only in the study of the human psyche and characteristics of thinking. Sigmund Freud is also known as a neurologist. In addition, many people associate his name only with deciphering the meaning of dreams.
Although, of course, Dr. Freud was best known for his theory of psychological analysis. The theses presented in it were not only innovative and very progressive for their era, they cause lively debate in today's days.
Where was Dr. Freud born?
Sigmund Freud was born in the small European town of Freiberg in the middle of the century before last. It happened in 1856, in May, in a small house on the Schlossergasse street. Nowadays, it bears the name of the famous doctor.
Parents of the future luminary of psychology were engaged in the trade in fabrics - his father ran a small shop. The industrial revolution, which swept through European countries and changed their economic structure, also affected the Freudian family. A small business could not cope with the new conditions, and the family was ruined. In 1859 they moved to Leipzig. After living there for about a year, the Freuds went to Vienna.
About education and the beginning of professional development
At the age of nine, the future scientist entered the gymnasium, which he graduated with honors at seventeen. Sigmund Freud continued his studies at the Faculty of Medicine at the Vienna Institute. In 1881, the young man received his doctorate. Having decided initially to engage exclusively in theoretical science, he worked for some time in the training laboratory under the guidance of one of his mentors. But over time, under the pressure of circumstances, he settled in the Vienna City Hospital, in the Department of Surgery.
This area of medicine did not make any special impression on Freud, but, having been doing it for a couple of months, the doctor became interested in neurology. In this area, the doctor has made significant progress. The articles published by him in medical journals at that time brought the doctor a reputation as a neuropathologist, who, if not working wonders, was able to successfully diagnose the disease and treat it - definitely.
However, this work in the hospital did not meet Freud's inner desires. In 1883, the doctor moved to the psychiatric ward, starting to work under the direction of Theodor Meinert. And a year later, in 1884, he began to deal closely with nervous diseases. In the same year, the future author begins to study the properties of cocaine, exploring its use as an anesthetic drug.
What became the prerequisite for the emergence of the theory of psychoanalysis
1885 became a turning point in the fate of Freud. He decides to participate in a competition for young specialists in various fields of medicine, the purpose of which was to identify a worthy scholarship holder for training and direct internship in the French capital, Jean Charcot, who at that time was considered an undeniable authority and scientific luminary in the field of nervous diseases.
Dr. Freud won the competition. And in the same 1885 he began to practice in the Paris clinic Salpetriere under the supervision of Charcot. His new mentor at that time was closely engaged in hysteria: the study of its causes and the development of treatment methods. Charcot was a supporter of such therapies as hypnosis. Freud was struck by the work of the luminaries of French medicine. It was while in a Paris hospital that Sigmund Freud first indicated the presence of connections between problems in the sexual sphere and manifestations of hysteria and other nervous disorders.
About scientific works
The peak of the scientific work of Freud came at the beginning of the last century. Carried away in Paris by Charcot's work and methods, the novice doctor continued to work in the field of nervous diseases and achieved significant results. It is his writings to this day that psychologists and neurologists use all over the world, although more than a hundred years have passed since the discoveries made by Freud, compiled descriptions and developed methods.
Various studies, articles and other publications of the works of this outstanding scientist have accumulated quite a lot during his life. After all, he began to present his first works on the pages of a medical journal while still a graduate student at the Vienna Institute.
Sigmund Freud himself considered dream interpretation to be his main work, which defines the relationship between the unconscious and the explicit, “lying on the surface” plot of a night dream. But for most scientists, doctors and people who are simply passionate about the characteristics of mental processes, other works of a famous doctor are valuable. Most of them were included in the collection known as "Psychology of the Unconscious." Sigmund Freud a brief summary of these works led to the idea that conscious manifestations, reactions, sensations and even actions of people are controlled not by explicit motivation, consisting of grafted norms, rules, traditions, but something completely different. This otherwise lies in the realm of the unconscious, and the goal of any doctor dealing with nervous diseases is precisely to find him.
"Psychology of the unconscious"
Freud's book is not a complete work. This is a collection that includes several scientific works of a renowned physician. Each of its constituent parts may well be considered and considered separately from the other, as completely independent. However, all the works presented in this collection are interconnected and complement one another. Therefore, it is advisable to get acquainted with them not separately, but by reading the book in its entirety.
The components of Freud’s research collection Psychology of the Unconscious are as follows:
- "Psychoanalysis of childhood neurosis";
- “Analysis of the phobia of a five-year-old boy”;
- “Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality”;
- "Psychopathology of everyday life";
- "About a dream";
- "Problems of metapsychology";
- “On Psychoanalysis”;
- “Beyond the pleasure principle”;
- "I and It."
Of course, such publications as the preface and dictionary explaining the meaning of specific terms and concepts used in the book are also included in print media.
What is written in this book?
The main theme of the collection is, as Freud himself would say , the psychology of the unconscious , that which is hidden in the human brain, but nevertheless drives all its actions, sensations, reactions. According to the theories developed by the doctor and the discoveries made by him, it is this, unconscious, part of thinking that becomes, in combination with suppressed memories, the source, the root cause of various neurotic pathologies, specific disorders, phobias, nightmares and much more.
The book covers almost all areas of medicine in which Sigmund Freud worked. "Psychology of the unconscious" considers such complex topics as neurosis in children, the principles of formation of attraction to something, the nature of motivation for actions, reactions, and behavior of people.
It provides both theoretical theses and specific examples from medical practice. Such versatile content allows readers to fully imagine what Freud did.
“Psychology of the Unconscious” is a book that is interesting not only to people studying human thinking, that is, students of medical universities, but also to those who are simply curious about the processes taking place in the brain.
What is the use of this book?
This question invariably arises not only among those studying in the faculties of psychology, but also among those interested in the processes taking place in the human mind. This is logical: in fact, unlike adventure or any other fiction, books related to popular science series should not only occupy leisure, but also be useful.
It is these works that Freud published. "Psychology of the unconscious" - an analysis of the processes of thinking that are beyond the obvious. Of course, this book will be useful primarily for students and graduate students who plan to connect their careers with the fields of medicine related to nervous pathologies and mental phenomena. Despite the fact that it is not a reference book, on its pages it is quite possible to find examples of textured cases of pathologies and ways to get rid of them.
The benefit to a wide range of readers is that they can understand themselves much better. The book will help to realize their own motives, think about their possible causes. Parents whose children are prone to neurosis will benefit from the part of the work that examines the neural pathologies of babies.
What is most significant in the collection? Content Overview
It is not possible to single out one section as the main one, since they relate to various aspects.
Of particular interest is a detailed analysis of childhood phobias and neurosis, since it is not presented as a theoretical teaching, consisting of a list of theses and formulations, but is a real case from medical practice. This is extremely important for understanding exactly how the analysis methods need to be used in real life conditions to diagnose pathologies, identify their causes and correct the condition of patients.
No less interesting is the section that examines the psychopathological manifestations of personality in ordinary everyday life. Most of this chapter is devoted to how exactly the unconscious true motivation affects the reactions and actions of a person. Although this information is primarily of interest to students of psychology, it is useful to readers who are far from medicine, who are faced with something not very clear or strange in the behavior of loved ones.
What is being said about this book?
The works of the great scientist, even during his lifetime, evoked the most contradictory responses among both professionally engaged in medicine and among curious people. And today, Freud provokes mixed reactions. The “Psychology of the Unconscious” is sometimes criticized, sometimes full of enthusiasm for praise.
The responses left by people who first became acquainted with the work of an Austrian doctor and who, prior to reading, were prejudiced against Freudianism, based largely on anecdotes, feature films, series and detective literature that mention psychological analysis, are quite interesting. Quite often, people discuss not so much a book as how Freud was.
About the "Psychology of the Unconscious" reviews, students in medical universities leave detailed, full understanding of the details. Students use different terms in them, and in thematic forums one can often encounter very lively discussions provoked by reading this book.
But not only future psychologists enthusiastically read and discuss the works of such a scientist as Freud. "Psychology of the unconscious" arouses the desire to share their thoughts and discuss some points in people far from professional medicine.