Psychologist Sigmund Freud

Psychologist Sigmund Freud is known as an extremely influential person in the 17th and 18th century, and his creation of psychoanalysis is still used in life today. He made a huge impact on psychology and mental health, and his discoveries helped with many recent accomplishments in mental health studies today. (“Jay”)

Freud was born May 6th, 1856 and passed away September 23rd, 1939. His father was a wool merchant, and his mother was Jakob, his father's, second wife. He was raised in Vienna, with two half siblings.

His mother was the same age as his father’s children from his past marriage. The family structure he grew up with was complicated. Freud's family was Jewish, and during the time period he grew up during he was surrounded in a catholic community. The emperor had liberated the Jews of Austria, giving them a better area to live. His family had to move frequently.

In 1886 he married Martha Bernays in Vienna. During their marriage, they had six children. One of his children, Anna Freud later became a known psychoanalyst.

Freud traveled to the United States for a presentation at Clark University for his theories in Massachusetts. The Clark University was his first presentation other than in Vienna. He was already famous and very well-known.

When he was 67 years old, he was diagnosed with a form of jaw cancer caused by excessive cigar smoking. He had 30 operations according to (“Live Science”).

He lived in Vienna for his adult life, then leaving to England when Germany occupied the area. He was mostly saved because of his fame. Being Jewish caused the Nazis to burn his books in Germany. They took his passport which stopped Freud from being able to leave. He got his passport back, and he died in September 1939 in England due to a drug overdose.

To start his work, he went to the University of Vienna medical school in 1873. Years later, in 1882, he went to the General Hospital in Vienna to become a clinical assistant. Freud trained with with psychiatrist Theodor Meynert, along with Hermann Nothnagel.

Sigmund Freud is the creator of psychoanalysis. He came up with many theories about the mind, and this changed psychology and the way people viewed the brain. He studied the “unconscious state” of the mind, or sleep. He thought of the unconscious mind as the most important state. Freud discovered that the causes of behavior form in the unconscious state of mind.

Freud compared the mind to an iceberg. An iceberg is mostly unseen. The tip of the iceberg, the part most visible, is the conscious mind. The conscious mind hold the small portion of mental activity that we are aware of. This area is where thought perception is held. The second area of the iceberg, or the part just below the water's surface was considered by Freud the subconscious mind. In this area, things that we could make ourselves aware of or think of are held. It holds memories and is where all knowledge is stored. The final area of the iceberg, the very bottom of it is the unconscious mind. This is where your instincts, sexual and aggressive thoughts, are kept. Fears, wrong sexual desires, violent thoughts, irrational thinking, selfish needs, and shameful, traumatic experiences are stored and locked away.

One observation he made about the unconscious mind happened in 1915. He studied that experiences that were painful were stored in the unconscious mind, where the thoughts were kept away. The entire goal of psychoanalysis is to have the unconscious mind become conscious.

Sigmund Freud was a very influential part in psychology. Many studies made today are based off of the discoveries Freud made. His research changed the world of psychology, and has helped with many impactful tests  and information.

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