Freud's Theory of Repression

Paper Summary:

Sigmund Freud is commonly attributed with creating the theory of the conscious and subconscious, with the concept of the many sexual complexes and drives that run our lives and our subconscious, and with the idea that things, which are not socially acceptable, will be hidden away within the subconscious. This paper provides an overview of this process of burying the unacceptable aspects of life away into the subconscious regression. It is generally believed, though there appear to be exceptions to this belief, that Freud considered all repression to be a subconscious act, a sort of "defense mechanism" against the uncomfortable or painful facts of life. The paper also examines the response of four psychologists to Freud's theory of repression, namely those of Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, B.F. Skinner, and Michael Billig.

From the Paper:

"Recently, the idea of "repressed memories" of a sexual nature has led to what some people consider a witch-hunt, and others a true renaissance: the rise of psychologists aiding patients, and women in particular, to recover memories of sexual abuse which are at the root of their problems. Some debate exists as to whether this is what Freud had in mind when he spoke of repression -- some suggest that he turned away from the reality of incest in order to pursue his ideas of repressed fantasies materializing as memories, others suggest that his very idea of repression validates the recovered memories."

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