Anna defined defense mechanisms as “unconscious resources used by the ego” to reduce internal stress. These defense mechanisms were more clearly defined and analyzed by Freud’s daughter, Anna Freud, in the twentieth century. Sigmund Freud believed the conscious mind uses defense mechanisms to protect itself from disturbing and distressing feelings and fantasies. In addition, he believed dreams were driven by unconscious processes that could be analyzed and interpreted. Additionally, unconscious material could be accessed through nonverbal behavior and transference/countertransference patterns as they arise in the relationship between patient and therapist.
Ego id and superego free#
To do this, Freud employed a technique termed free association whereby patients would lie on a couch facing away from the psychoanalyst and discuss whatever came to mind. Building upon the works of his predecessors and mentors, Freud developed psychoanalysis as a “talking cure” for people suffering from “psychoneurosis.” The goal of psychoanalysis was to “render the unconscious conscious” or bring the suppressed memories and unconscious feelings, desires, and motives into awareness where they could be integrated with the rest of mental life. It also has the function of persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection.įreud and his followers believed psychopathology could result from the sequestering of unwanted feelings and memories from conscious awareness. The superego’s function is to control the id’s impulses, especially those which society forbids, such as sex and aggression. It reflects society’s moral values to some degree, and a person is sometimes aware of their own morality and ethics, but the superego contains a vast number of codes, or prohibitions, that are issued mostly unconsciously in the form of commands or “don’t” statements. The superego is a part of the unconscious that is the moral voice (i.e., doing what is right) and the source of self-criticism.
Ego id and superego how to#
The ego considers social realities and norms, etiquette and rules in deciding how to behave. The ego operates according to the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society. Ideally, the ego works by reason, whereas the id is chaotic and unreasonable. It is the decision-making component of personality. The ego develops to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. It’s what the person is aware of when they think about themselves and is what they usually try to project toward others. The ego is ‘that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world.’ The ego is the only conscious component. The id is also stubborn, for it responds only to what Freud called the pleasure principle (if it feels good, do it), and nothing else. The libido, according to Freud, is the generalized sexual energy that is used for everything from survival instincts to appreciation of art. The id is the unconscious, primitive, and instinctive component containing all the urges and impulses, including the libido. Nineteenth century Viennese Neurologist Sigmund Freud believed the human psych consisted of three major components (id, ego, and superego) that were constantly in conflict with each other.
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