Psychoanalysis & Transpersonal Review

Freud’s “Id”

The unconscious, primitive part of one’s personality—the biological component. Reservoir of basic instinct.

Freud’s “Ego”

The conscious, psychological component of personality. Thoughtful, balances the desires of the id with the demands of reality through conscious decision making processes.

Freud’s “Superego”

The social component of personality which is the source of moral censorship, conscience, moral perfection without taking reality into account. Established via identification with parental figures or social groups.

Freud’s “pleasure principle”

The driving force of the id which seeks immediate gratification of all needs, wants, and urges, even if they are necessarily socially acceptable.

Freud’s “Reality Principle”

The ability to make logical decisions which consider the external world and promote psychological well-being. “Suppresses” the needs of the id.

Freud’s “Eros”

The life instinct, one of two primary ruling forces.

Freud’s “Thanatos”

The death instinct, one of two primary ruling forces.

Freud’s “Unconscious”

A complex system of thoughts, feelings, and memories that influence behavior, contains material that is too threatening or harmful to process consciously, thought to be the most powerful part of the human mind.

Freud’s “Conscious”

What you are aware of at any given moment, including thoughts and feelings.

Freud’s “Preconscious”

Thoughts and memories that are accessible, but not currently in awareness. Think of it like the “tip of the tongue" effect.

Parapraxes (“Freudian Slips”)

A minor mistake in speech, memory, or action that reveals an unconscious thought or wish, such as saying the wrong name, using the wrong word, etc.

What is the oral stage of development defined by?

Occurs from birth to about 18 months. The infant’s mouth is their primary source of pleasure. Oral fixations in adults include overeating, smoking, nail-biting, etc. and regression may be characterized by a need for reassurance.

What is the anal stage of development defined by?

Occurs from 18 months to 3 years old. The child’s primary focus of pleasure centers around the anus and bowl movements. Regression may be characterized by messiness and a lack of boundaries.

What is the phallic stage of development characterized by?

Occurs between the ages of 3 and 6 years old. The child’s primary focus of pleasure is on their genitals, leading to heightened awareness of their own body and the differences between genders.

What is the latent stage of development characterized by?

Occurs around age 6 until puberty. The child suppresses sexual feelings that occur during childhood.

What is the genital stage of development characterized by?

Begins around puberty and lasts through adulthood. A person’s sexual energy focuses on mature, reciprocal relationships.

Oedipus Complex

A psychoanalytic theory that describes a child’s sexual feelings toward their opposite-sex parent, and hostility toward their same-sex parent. Named after Oedipus Rex, a character in a Greek tragedy who killed his father and married his mother.

Oral Fixation

Irrationally dependent (needs reassurance), or irrationally independent (refuses help).

Anal Fixation

Irrationally self-controlled and servile to authority, or no self-control and is compulsively disruptive, defiant.

Phallic Fixation

Excessive masculine/ feminine behaviors. Sexually compulsive (promiscuous, overt) or sexually repressed.

Latent Fixation

Inability to form stable, healthy adult relationships.

Genital Fixation

May have difficulty developing healthy self esteem.

Karen Horney’s ideas

Anxiety related to security and social relationships is our fundamental drive. Anxiety is defined as a feeling of being isolated and helpless.

Alfred Adler’s ideas

Humans want power or superiority, influenced by birth order, focused on relationships between siblings.

Viktor Frankl’s ideas

Fundamental drive is to find meaning in life. Similar to humanism. Argues that a meaning to life is more important than sex or power.

Anna Freud’s basic defenses

repression, projection, reaction formation, displacement, rationalization, denial, undoing, types of anxiety

Types of anxiety: Neurotic

Worry that we will lose control of ID impulses, such as sex and aggression.

Types of Anxiety: Reality

Fear of real-world events.

Types of Anxiety: Morals

Fear of violating own moral principles.

Defense: Repression

blocking anxiety-producing thoughts out of the conscious mind.

Defense: Reaction Formation

Replacing an unacceptable wish with its opposite.

Defense: Displacement.

Threat is redirected to something less threatening to the Ego.

Defense: Projection

Attributing unacceptable impulses to someone else.

Defense: Rationalization

Reasoning away anxiety-producing thoughts.

Defense: Denial

Failure to recognize anxiety-provoking information.

Defense: Undoing

Atoning for an unacceptable action with another behavior, action, or thought.

Circadian Rhythm

Rhythmic change that continues at close to a 24-hour cycle. It regulates body temperature, hormones and cortisol secretion, and sleep. In the absence of time cues, the cycle becomes somewhat longer than 24 hours.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

electrodes provide a record of the electrical activity of the brain. These recordings are a rough index of psychological states.

Regular alpha waves

Awake but non-attentive

Low amplitude, fast, irregular beta waves.

Awake and attentive.

Stage 1 of Sleep

Falling asleep

Stage 2 of Sleep

(slow-wave sleep) deeper stage of sleep.

Stage 3 of Sleep

Slowest, high-amplitude Delta waves.

REM Sleep

EEG patterns that resemble beta waves of alert wakefulness. Muscles most relax, “rapid eye movements” occur, and vivid dreams occur.

Functions of sleep

“restoration theory” body wears out during the day, and sleep is necessary to restore it. “adaptive theory” is the evolution to preserve energy during the day.

Non-somniacs

Sleep far less than most but do not feel tired during the day.

Insomniacs

Have a normal desire for sleep but are unable to and feel tired during the day.

REM sleep disorder

Sleeper acts of their dreams.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking

Night terrors

Sudden arousal from sleep and intense fear accompanied by physiological reactions that occur during slow-wave sleep. Disrupts the ability to reach delt awave sleep and REM.

Narcolepsy

Overpowering urge to fall asleep that may occur while talking or standing up.

Dreams

“Unfolding episode of mental imagery; narrative-like, involving characters and events.”

Common characteristics of dreams

Intense emotions, illogical content, and bizarre sensations.

Edgar Cayce

American 20th century “mystic” who believed he was accessing the “Akashi records” (collective unconscious).