(1) Oedipus complex (Freud)

Process of Self-Analysis

• Initially worsened symptoms during self-analysis.

• Engaged with the "dung heap":

  • Represents disgraceful, shameful, and anxiety-producing feelings buried in the unconscious.

  • Included unacceptable feelings such as:

    • Fantasies of incest

    • Fantasies of murder

    • Rivalries and repressed hatreds

Childhood Emotions

• The complexity of childhood feelings:

  • Acknowledgment of wishing death upon a sibling.

  • Recognition of strong feelings towards a parent (especially maternal).

• Radical nature of these feelings in the context of 1896:

  • Children experiencing lust for their mothers and hatred toward their fathers.

  • Such feelings were difficult to uncover due to societal norms.

Freud's Analytical Perspective

• Freud approached memories scientifically:

  • Abandoned moral judgment in evaluating childhood emotions.

  • Proposed a universal experience among children of deep passion (love and hate) towards parents.

Oedipus Complex

• Definition:

  • Freud termed this bundle of emotions as the "Oedipus complex."

• Inspiration from Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex":

  • Oedipus’s tragic fate mirrors potentially universal experiences.

• Core premise:

  • First sexual impulses directed towards the mother.

  • First feelings of hatred projected onto the father.

Significance of Vengeful Dreams

• Exploration of deep-seated feelings of vengeance in human psyche:

  • Emphasizes the importance of understanding these emotions in psychological development.