September 23rd: The Day Freud Died

Freud and his cigar

September 23rd 1939 was the death-day of the Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, a remarkable figure of psychology. Freud dedicated his life to the study and development of the psychoanalytical theory which has consistently fascinated people to the present day. His radical work involved infamous proposals of the Oedipus and Electra Complex; the unconscious mind comprising of the id, ego and the super ego; the existence of the libido; the interpretation of dreams; free association; and many more. 
   Since the progression of the Freudian theory and the ideas surrounding it, his work has become an integral part of everyday life. Freudian slips, being 'in denial', having an 'ego', having a guilty 'conscience', and 'penis envy' all derive from Freud's theory of psychoanalysis. Freud's work always causes a stir when looking at case studies, where he usually proceeds to prove that a young boy subconsciously wants to kill his own father due to jealousy of his mother's affections, and also wants to have sexual relations with his mother (the Oedipus complex); or that a girl subconsciously thinks she has been castrated and therefore has, what he terms, 'penis envy', and desires to have the male phallic symbol of power. Freud has also been known to analyse dreams, claiming that dreams are an illustration of a person's desires that are repressed, so they often contain sexual encounters, with swords and boats presenting penises and shipping docks representing the vagina.
   Although Freud's concept of the unconscious mind is extremely interesting, it is abstract so it can never be scientifically proved, hence the widespread debate over his theories. Whether you agree or disagree with Freud's work, you must admit he made an immense impact on the subject of psychology. Can you see any truth behind Freud's theory? Or, in Freud's own words, is 'a cigar... sometimes just a cigar'?