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Analysand
A person undergoing psychoanalysis. -
Cathexis
Greek word meaning "to occupy" or "to invest." In Freudian psychology, it is used to describe the attachment of libido, or other psychic energy, to a particular object or goal. -
Displacement
A psychoanalytic defense mechanism in which one's desire for something inappropriate, such as one's mother, is displaced onto something acceptable, such as one's wife. The acceptable person shares characteristics with, and takes the place of, the unacceptable person. -
Ego
English translation of Freud's term das Ich, or "the I." One of the three components of the psyche, it is the part of the psyche that deals with reality. -
Id
English translation of Freud's term das Es, or "the It." One of the three components of the psyche, it is responsible for instinctual urges and is completely unconscious. -
Libido
Psychic energy derived from the sex drive. -
Neurology
The field of medicine concerned with brain disease and brain injuries. Distinct from neuroscience (the scientific study of the brain) and neuropsychology (the study of psychological disorders and impairments caused by brain dysfunction). -
Neurosis
A mental disorder that involves distortion, but not outright rejection, of reality. Neuroses include anxiety disorders, "hysteria," "neurasthenia," and obsessive-compulsive disorders. -
Organic
Organic brain disorders are those that are caused by detectable injuries or diseases of the brain. Organic diseases are usually contrasted with diseases of psychological origin. -
The Oedipus complex
A persistent set of unconscious beliefs and desires that results, according to Freud, from the childhood repression of the desire to sleep with one's mother and kill one's father. -
Physiology
The field of biology concerned with the activities and functions of biological systems (as opposed to anatomy, which is concerned with the structures of biological systems). -
Physicalism (materialism)
The philosophical position that all phenomena can be explained by reference to physical (or "material") objects and the laws that govern their interactions. -
Pleasure principle
The principle obeyed by the id, which attempts to accomplish infantile wishes such as the wish to have sex with one's mother and kill one's father. -
Projection
A psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which an unwanted desire is attributed to others instead of the self. If you hate your father, for example, you might project your own feelings onto him and become convinced that your father hates you. -
Psychoanalyst
A person who performs psychoanalysis. Often a medical doctor, though not always, especially after the 1960s in Europe. -
Psychoanalysis
Originally a method of treating people with neurotic disorders invented and made popular by Sigmund Freud. Also a general method of interpreting behavior, art, history, etc., as being rooted in unconscious (usually sexual) desires. -
Psychosis
A mental disorder that involves outright rejection or denial of reality. Psychotic conditions include schizophrenia, very severe depression, and manic- depressive disorder. -
Reaction formation
A psychoanalytic defense mechanism by which an unwanted desire is converted into its opposite; e.g. a hatred of one's father is converted into a powerful (neurotic) love for him. -
Reality principle
The principle obeyed by the ego, which attempts to reconcile the id's desires with reality. -
Repression
The process by which the ego prevents unwanted desires from emerging into consciousness. According to psychoanalysis, partially-successful repression is the cause of neuroticism. -
Sublimation
The use of psychic energy generated by an unwanted or inappropriate desire, such as the desire to have sex with one's mother, for an acceptable activity such as art, science, good works, etc. -
Superego
English translation of Freud's term "Über-Ich", or "over-I." One of the three components of the psyche, the super-ego represents internalized social rules. It is partly conscious, and it enforces rules and imposes guilt. -
World War I, 1914–1918
The First World War was sparked by the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in Serbia. The Austro-Hungarian attempt to punish the Serbs for the assassination instigated a series of threats and counter-threats by the European powers. Eventually almost all of Europe became involved in a war that lasted far longer than anyone had expected and resulted in the defeat of the Central Powers and the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
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World War II, 1939–1945
The seeds of the Second World War were laid with Hitler's annexation of the Sudetenland, part of the Czechoslovakian Republic, in violation of international treaties that had been put in place after World War I. The Western European countries appeased Hitler for months, until in 1939 Hitler began his attempt to conquer all of Europe and Russia. In the course of World War II, approximately six million Jews and a number of other innocent non-combatants were killed by the Nazi regime and the horrific Holocaust the regime created. The involvement of the United States, Japan, China, Russia, Europe, and parts of Africa and the Middle East made World War II the first truly global war. It ended with the first and only use of nuclear weapons in war–the American bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which came months after the total defeat of the Axis powers in Europe by the Allies.
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Freud's Self-Analysis, 1896–1899
The years between 1896, when Freud's father died, and 1899, when The Interpretation of Dreams was completed and published, were some of the most productive years of Freud's life. During this time, he formulated the basic techniques and theoretical framework of psychoanalysis. Aside from his patients, Freud's primary source of data was himself. He analyzed his dreams, his slips of the tongue, and the childhood memories he was able to dredge up from his unconscious. Freud called this process of interpreting himself his "self- analysis." The self-analysis had a formative effect on his theories and his life. We know about this period only because of Marie Bonaparte's successful effort to save Freud's letters to Wilhelm Fliess.
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Nazis take power in Germany, 1933
In 1933, Hitler became chancellor of Germany and began the campaign of persecution and nationalism that would lead to World War II. It was in this year that the German parliament, the Reichstag, was set on fire. In the same year, numerous books–including Freud's–were also burnt in Germany.
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Nazis invade Austria
In March 1938, the German Nazis invaded Austria, forcing Freud to flee to England.
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Freud diagnosed with cancer
Freud's diagnosis of mouth cancer in 1923 started the last chapter of his life, one in which he was famous, controversial, and well-respected, but in which he suffered a number of partings from friends–some due to death, some to disagreement. During this time, Freud underwent a seemingly interminable series of operations to control his cancer. His writings became increasingly speculative and focused on the major problems of humanity, including religion (The Future of an Illusion,Moses and Monotheism) and the development of civilization and culture (Civilization and Its Discontents). Although the last sixteen years of Freud's life were spent in near-constant discomfort–he wore an ill-fitting prosthesis in his mouth that gave him great difficulty in eating and speaking– his productivity was not reduced. He continued to treat patients until the last few months of his life.
