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What is Psychoanalysis ?
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In his effort to understand what caused
the hysterical symptoms he was trying to
treat, Freud discovered that symptoms were
induced by unconscious psychic processes
related to infantile sexuality. The study
of his own dreams confirmed the extent
to which the unconscious determination
predominated. He was also able to show
the presence of the unconscious psychic
processes in several phenomena (slips of
the tongue, parapraxes, jokes) which had
not been adequately explained by the psychology
of consciousness. In 1922, Freud gave psychoanalysis
a complex definition which distinguishes
three aspects:
- Psychoanalysis is the name of a procedure
for the investigation of mental processes
which are almost inaccessible in any
other way and can be the object of serious
investigation. This procedure is called
free association. Used in the carefully
defined setting and structure of the
analytic situation, it becomes the “fundamental
rule” that is to say, the analysand
is requested to say whatever come to
mind. Thus appear and organize the phenomena
known as the transference relationship
to the analyst, which constitute the
analytic process.
- Psychoanalysis is a method of treatment
of a certain range of psychic disorders,
in particular, neurotic disorders. In
fact, the therapeutic dimension of analysis
(the analytic treatment) emerges from
the psychic transformations induced
by the awareness of the unfolding process:
the modification of the relationship
of the Ego to the Unconscious translates
into –in addition to the relief
from psychic suffering—an increased
capacity to love and work. All other
psychoanalytic treatments are to a greater
or lesser degree derived from this model
of treatment, respecting the range of
clinical diversity.
- Psychoanalysis is a theory organizing
the knowledge obtained from practical
experience, which it then inspires,
in return. Because it is primarily concerned
with what is beyond consciousness, that
is, unconscious psychic reality, Freud
called the theory Metapsychology.
Psychoanalysis is concerned not only with
the singular experience of an individual
analysis, but is equally preoccupied with
and applied to the entirety of human phenomena
in which the unconscious is involved.
There is thus a connection as well as a
distinction to be made between:
- the method of investigation required
by the specific characteristics of the
unconscious ;
- the effective transformation, inherent
to the psychoanalytic process, which
goes far beyond symptom relief ;
- the theory which is both limited in
its specificity, while nevertheless
open to all disciplines which concern
humankind.
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