Freud’s Structural Model of the Psyche

Posted on Feb 2, 2025 in Physical Education

Freud employed the term “topical” (from the Greek topos = place) in a metaphorical sense, indicating that he wanted to comprehend the human psyche without a model that represents different spatial regions. Within the topical, the “primroses” are: the unconscious, the preconscious, and the conscious.

The Unconscious

We denominate “unconscious” those latent representations of which we have some suspicion, whose foundation is contained in the mind. Therefore, the characteristics of the unconscious are:

  • Their content consists of pulsions and instinctive representations such as fantasies.
  • There are no spatial-temporal coordinates.
  • Representations follow their own logic, not the normal logic of the conscious area.
  • There is no definitive “no”, contradiction, negation, beginning, nor hesitant nuances.
  • These contents are charged with instinctive energy, gifted with high mobility.

Displacements occur (energetic form, its load passes from one representation to another), and condensations of many in one alone. They strive to return to consciousness, stumbling then with the defensive barrier, unable to access the preconscious and conscious systems but “disguised” (as a commitment or transaction) by two pulses of irreconcilable effect.

The Preconscious

The preconscious system is located between the unconscious and the conscious. It has no way to access consciousness directly, as it is rejected or expelled by repression, nor are the characteristics of the unconscious. Secondary processes reign, as in the conscious system, and representations are linked to words, i.e., normal verbal language.

Information is stored in the preconscious area, while the traces of certain experiences that have been subject to repression are inscribed in the unconscious system.

The Conscious

Freud said, “It is not necessary to characterize what we call conscious, because it matches the consciousness of philosophers and of daily speech.”

Second Topical

In the definitive, Freud presents an anthropomorphic view of the “psychic apparatus.” He proposes three instances that relate to personality as if they were almost three subjects: the id, the ego, and the superego.

The Fate of Sex Drive

The fate of sex drive can be:

  1. Disturbance to the contrary.
  2. Return to the proper person.
  3. Enforcement.
  4. Sublimation.

Conditions a) and b) to the opposite condition are resolved into two processes: the return of activity to passivity and disturbance of contents.

Examples of the former are Sadism-Masochism and the pleasure of being relates to exhibit disorder targets, active target (torment – look) to the passive target (to be martyred – being looked at). The content can be discovered in this one case: the love to hate.

The return to the person itself is understandable if we think of masochism and sadism turned towards the person itself. And that the exhibition has included the look of your own body, the masochist has shared out the fury that has befallen him and the exhibitionist, her nakedness. The essential thing is to change the way the object, not its goal, which is intact. In the examples, the turn toward passivity and agree to the proper person.

Sadism

  1. Sadistic, violent action, claim (action violence) power to another person as an object. Not superfluous, drive by personae.
  2. Resigned and replaced object itself. There has also been sadistic in obsessional neurosis, the change in goal. Only until b) without passivity to a new (reflexive voice) masochism.
  3. We seek an object, a result that goal to take the place of the subject (passive voice).

View-Show

  1. Originally autoerotic object in the body. Self sexual member = member look sexual person being looked at by itself. (For route change in the object = object outside oneself look – pleased to see active – and by change of track in the subject-object’s being looked at by an outsider – exhibition -).
  2. See as activity directed to an alien object.
  3. Resignation of the object back to a part of the body, disorder of passivity establishment of a new goal: to be watched.
  4. Insertion of a new object (agent).