PSYCHOANALYSIS Z.FREYDA

Often psychoanalysis, the main object of research of which is the sphere of the unconscious, is perceived by non-professionals, who remember mostly the titles of the books of Freud “Interpretation of Dreams”, “Totem and Taboo”, “I and It”, etc., as something mystical and mysterious, and Sigmund Freud himself - almost like a great shaman and seer. There is nothing further from the truth!

S. Freud constantly emphasized that he is a consistent determinist, that is, he argued that any most incomprehensible mental state and behavior is based on a completely material reason, which is the main task of the psychoanalyst to find. Finding this quite material reason is, in the opinion of S. Freud, a necessary condition for the start of a painstaking and lengthy procedure to rid the client of his depressing states, irrational behaviors and neuroses.

The main merit of Freud is that he introduced the concept of the unconscious to science, and not as a mystical category and not amenable to study and control, but as a sphere studied and controlled not by direct but indirect methods, the whole system of which he developed and refined during a successful many years of practical activity.

Freud conditionally divides the human psyche into consciousness , preconsciousness and unconscious .

It is in the unconscious that he sees the main driving forces of personal development and its manifestations in mental states and behavioral reactions. Here are the main resources of psychic energy, instincts and needs that produce (often in a latent form) true motives of behavior, including irrational, neurotic ones.

At the same time, Freud singles out (and this is one of the main objects of criticism from opponents) two basic instincts: libido, including here mainly the instinct of continuation of life and the desire for sexual satisfaction, and the mortido - striving for death, aggression and destruction ).

Freud highlights in the structure of personality: Id (Ono), Ego (I) and Super-Ego (Super-I).

The first (lower) part of this structure, the id, is almost completely unconscious. It consists of those instincts and motives that have never been realized, and of those that, because of their unacceptability for a given person, have been repressed from consciousness, and so firmly as if they have never been in consciousness. At the same time, according to Freud, the Eid does not include moral and ethical components, despite the fact that the exclusion of some moments from consciousness into the Eid was caused precisely by their moral and ethical unacceptability. In the words of Nietzsche, the Eid is “on the other side of good and evil,” not distinguishing between them.

The second (middle) part of the personality structure, the Ego , occupies an intermediate position between the completely unconscious and the superconscious, that is, on the one hand, it follows unconscious instincts and impulses, and on the other hand, subordinates these impulses to the requirements of reality.

It can be said that the Ego ( I ), the central part of the personality as a biological and at the same time social being, controls and directs arbitrary human behavior, reconciling biological instincts and social requirements.

The ego is, as it were, a social and biological regulator of personality, seeking to satisfy its biological needs in a socially acceptable way, and if it is impossible to do so, try to ease their tensions at a rational and sometimes at an unconscious level.

The third (highest) part of the personality structure - the Super-Ego ( Super- I ) contains moral and ethical standards that allow the Ego ( I ) to evaluate its actions and intentions in terms of "what is good and what is bad," is the ideal of strict, but a fair mentor, adviser, judge.

The ego does not always obey this mentor, but in these cases it knows that it is doing wrong, wrong, and is deeply ashamed of it, even if it tries to deceive itself and others, justifying its actions, words and thoughts. That is unacceptable from the point of view of the Super-Ego, but true motives are forced into the unconscious or the pre-conscious sphere, but do not disappear completely, but lie there, like time-mines, always ready to begin their destructive work.

It is precisely such repression or suppression of motives that are unacceptable to the superego that are undesirable from the supremo- i point of view — one of the cornerstones of the theory and practice of classical psychoanalysis — has also become a crucial concept.

Identification of these motives as true causes of frustration and neurosis, bringing them to the client’s mind and the subsequent work to eliminate them or correct them is the core line not only of psychoanalysis, but also of any direction and method of modern classical psychotherapy, including those of them on many issues (pansexuality, the dominant role of early childhood, etc.) do not agree with Freud.

Representatives of all psychotherapeutic areas accept the axiom of psychoanalysis that I resist the realization of true motives that have been repressed from consciousness, the real causes of neurosis.

The most typical ways of such self-deception, self-defense of consciousness against the “unpleasant truth” are highlighted in the psychoanalysis of Freud and systematized by his daughter Anna Freud.

Aggression

It is believed that the most frequent behavioral reaction to frustration is aggression. In everyday life, by aggression, we mean an attack on someone, the destruction of external objects. In psychotherapy, the concept of "aggression" is considered much broader. So, some authors believe that destructive actions directed at themselves (self-destruction - from self-deprecation, self-flagellation up to suicide) can also be viewed as a type of aggression - auto - aggression.

We propose the following classification of aggressive behavior as a reaction to frustration:

- on orientation : outside (on other people and external objects) and inward (on myself, on what I consider to be my own, part of myself: family, my own business, etc.);

- on efficiency : constructive (to achieve an objectively significant goal) and destructive (to meaningless destruction).

Many authors (especially domestic and European) believe that aggression, with rare exceptions, is not constructive in the sense of solving a problem; more often it aggravates the situation. The only goal of a positive manifestation of aggression, they consider the possibility of using it to reduce internal stress. Thus, in some Japanese enterprises, a worker can smash a plastic copy of his boss with a stick and thereby mitigate his frustration. Although, in our opinion, in this situation, the effect is achieved mainly due to high physical exertion, which contributes to the release of endorphins-antidepressants.

The great poet Lord DG Byron resolved his bouts of affection with boxing and swimming to exhaustion. Body therapy of V. Reich also includes a special provocation of a person to release aggression in a safe form.

It should be noted that in the US, both in everyday life and in scientific literature (here practice has outstripped theory), the term “aggressiveness” has long been used not only in a negative sense, but often implies an active desire to achieve success not only in combat or in sports, but also in any sphere of life activity within the framework of the law, ethics and traditions. Some psychologists and practitioners find it useful sometimes to receive a charge of frustration , which provokes aggressive energy to overcome an obstacle, to achieve victory.

This can be compared to sports, when a defeat forces an athlete to train more aggressively and hard to win the next time. Although even in a sport where competitiveness is a prerequisite, some athletes lose arms after failure. That is, the constructive or destructive focus of aggression on frustration depends on the type of personality, life standards that have formed in it and on external circumstances.

Sport is a good model for learning aggressive behavior. For example, in hockey, you can see that one athlete responds to the rudeness of a rival with a fight, gets removed, and thus brings his team in the minority (destructive aggression). The other, receiving a blow from an opponent (that’s how Valery Kharlamov was in hockey, and Edward Streltsov in football) almost immediately realized a powerful impulse of frustration aggression in scoring a goal, punishing not only the offender, but his entire team along with the fans and at the same time bringing success your team (constructive aggression).

Repression

Another common variant of non-rational (from the point of view of solving the problem) output is repression (the notions of repression and suppression are close to this), which is expressed in suppressing one's desires, pushing them into the subconscious.

At the same time, the repressed desires not only do not lead to getting rid of the frustrating dependence, but become even stronger, but already unconscious and more difficult to be analyzed, monitored and corrected.

However, being realists, we must understand that although repression (repression) negatively affects the mental state of an individual, but the coexistence of people in any society (from family to state) is impossible without suppressing (and, therefore, displacing into the subconscious) some instincts and needs . After all, the very essence of education consists not only in inculcating certain patterns of behavior, but also in teaching to deter certain instincts and impulses (aggressive, sexual, etc.), at least in certain places, at a certain time or in a certain form.

Therefore, it is important for a psychotherapist to be able to distinguish which suppression and repression are necessary and correspond to social norms, and which are excessive, exaggerated and perceived by society and (this is very important) by the individual as a sign of inconsistency with normal behavior, normal mental state and way of thinking.

Escapism

The term “escapism” (avoidance) in modern psychiatry (and primarily in its psychoanalytic direction) is called behavior aimed at avoiding a frustrating situation, ignoring it. Some authors do not single out escapism into an independent category, considering that it is one of the variants of repression.

It is believed that this type of behavior saves nerves, but, naturally, it does not help to find a solution, to gain true autonomy and freedom, and sometimes creates additional difficulties, because the problem is not only not solved, but aggravated, its solution is delayed and becoming more and more difficult. and sometimes impossible. Such a person resembles an ostrich, who, burying his head in the sand, thinks he is not visible. For example, young men, having experienced a failure in sexual relations, sometimes begin to avoid them, which leads to the development of a complex of other emotional problems.

Escapism should not be confused with a completely rational departure from the occupation of problems that do not deserve the expenditure of forces and nerves, although we are emotionally attracted to us, and being unable to tear ourselves away from them, we find excuses that this question or the behavior of another person cannot be ignored. (see rationalization ).

Here it is very important for the psychotherapist to understand and help his client to understand when avoiding the problem is irrational self-deception, neurosis, and when, on the contrary, the most rational behavior (however, in this case such behavior will not be called escapism in its generally accepted psychoanalytic sense).

Regression

Such a model of avoiding a frustrating situation as regression deserves special attention. In classical psychoanalytic terminology, regression is the transition under the pressure of frustration to a simplified model of behavior.

Psychoanalysts usually by regression understand the use of primitive behavior characteristic of the earlier stages of development of the individual. A classic example of this, Freudians believe that in a stressful situation, people often take the so-called uterine posture: pulling their knees to their chins and hugging them with their arms, thus returning to the stage of development in which they felt completely protected and calm.

This behavior creates the illusion of disclaiming responsibility for solving their problems due to the usual position of a small one. Perhaps this helps to overcome a stressful situation, but does not solve the problem itself.

However, we believe that regression-type behavioral reactions can be attributed (in cases where they are avoiding problem solving!) Drunkenness, sex, craving for more primitive companies, shows, entertainment, reading circles, films, etc. than those that are more relevant to your intellect.

Here, too, it is necessary to distinguish regression as a typical neurotic reaction (fear of exposing the problem), regression as a socio-intellectual degradation (if the range of interests, communication, the conversations have a steady tendency to decrease the intellectual level) and regression as a switching technique (active recreation) with the aim ( often unconscious) it is better to be distracted, to recover in order to return to the storming of problems that require a high voltage of intellectual, moral and psychological resources.

However, in our opinion, the distribution of reading books and watching films of a primitive aggressive or sexual nature and primitive recreation is not so much a sign of intellectual degradation of the population as an unconscious (and sometimes conscious) departure from the increasing life problems that place more and more requirements for the rapid processing of multidimensional information, continuous decision-making and withstanding constant stress.

For some, these requirements prove to be overwhelming, and they finally go into regression. Others, as we have said, use it for brief outdoor activities and stress relief. No wonder IPPavlov wrote that he always loved physical work more than intellectual, because in this case even very intensive physical work was for him not work, but active recreation, care, switching from the main problems.

Given the growing intellectual and emotional overloads of most people and the desire to get away from them at least for a while, psychotherapists should have a significant arsenal of recommendations for the most effective care, not conceiving a tendency towards sustainable regression. Otherwise, it would seem that a completely rational desire to relieve tension can lead to a loss of the ability to mobilize at the right time to solve real problems.

Rationalization

Usually, rationalization is defined as the explanation of one’s behavior not by true motives, but justifying it. And this is not done intentionally, the true motives really do not confess. The unconscious goal of rationalization is to remove responsibility from oneself and transfer it to circumstances, other people, etc.

Understanding or feeling subconsciously wrong, ineffective, unethical, strange behavior, many can not, and even do not seek to change it. And so, in order to reconcile their minds with this irrationality of their behavior and their inability to change it, they come up with an acceptable justification for it.

I repeat, if we use the term “rationalization” in its classical psychoanalytic sense, then it is not about the conscious deception of others, but about the unconscious self-deception necessary to reconcile the mind with unreasonable behavior. Anyway, we all use this method of reconciliation of consciousness with the subconscious.

We have already given a classic example of family neurotic (irrational, but despite this stubbornly repetitive and justified by us) behavior, when we are doing the 1001st comment on the same topic to the same person, knowing in advance that if 1000 comments did not help then the 1001st will not help, but more often will cause the opposite effect. So, we must choose some other strategy. But in response to such advice, we sincerely argue that our 1001st observation is not a manifestation of neurosis, but an absolutely correct action, the purpose of which is to correct the behavior of a child, husband, wife, etc.

But we know from previous experience that this time the goal will not only not be achieved, most likely the situation will only get worse. But all the same, we will repeat this irrational (in terms of achieving the intended goal) action, very logically justifying its correctness.

Rationalization always leads to the preservation of the former situation, serves to conceal from itself the true causes of their actions, and therefore makes it impossible to correct them. The exit from this vicious circle is possible only through awareness with the help of a psychotherapist of the true motives of his behavior.

Первоначальной задачей психотерапевта в работе с таким клиентом является умение отличить невротическую рационализацию, усугубляющую нерешаемые личные и семейные проблемы, от некоторой доли рационализации, свойственной практически любому человеку и особенно конфликтующим супругам, детям и родителям, ученикам и учителям, сотрудникам и др., когда каждый часто неосознанно видит ситуацию и свое поведение в более выгодном для самооправдания свете.

Разумеется, здесь тоже не помешает разъяснительная работа, без которой невозможно решение конфликтов, однако надо заранее смириться с тем, что определенная доля субъективизма в оценке своего поведения остается всегда. Поэтому психотерапевт должен определить, где рационализация наносит явный вред и все более усугубляет ситуацию, а где она находится в пределах нормы.

Сублимация

Под этим термином в психотерапии подразумевается переключение мыслей и (или) деятельности человека с нерешаемой (реально или по его мнению) проблемы на другую, более доступную, при решении которой он компенсирует предыдущую неудачу и частично снижает фрустрацию.

Чаще всего сублимация толкает человека идти по более легкому пути: получив поражение от более сильного противника, удовлетвориться победой над более слабым; не достигнув успеха в трудном деле, достичь его в более легком (часто даже в ненужном). Но сублимация может играть и положительную роль. Психоаналитики считают, что большинство выдающихся произведений искусства являются результатом сублимации энергии от фрустрации, связанной с неудачами в личной жизни (чаще всего отвергнутой или потерянной любовью, неудовлетворенным половым инстинктом и т.п.).

Нередко в психоаналитической литературе приводятся примеры, когда сублимация фрустрационной энергии от неразделенной любви, отверженности в какой-то сфере деятельности и даже физической неполноценности приводила к компенсаторной активности и выдающимся достижениям не только в искусстве, но и в науке, в политике, в бизнесе. Поэтому в таких случаях можно говорить и о положительных последствиях сублимации.

Эти примеры и советы должен уметь использовать психотерапевт, поддерживая людей, потерпевших жизненные неудачи, и направляя их фрустрационную энергию в конструктивное русло, иначе она будет направлена в деструкцию (разрушение или саморазрушение, хотя бы в смысле формирования чувства ущербности).

Но все-таки в большинстве случаев сублимация выражается в пустой трате энергии, когда, потерпев неудачу в решении реальных проблем, клиент начинает тратить свою активность на самоутверждение в решении надуманных, никому не нужных вопросов, в бесполезной деятельности, в болезненном уходе от реальной жизни в фантазирование, без малейшей попытки воплощения этих фантазий и планов или при бесконечном откладывании этих попыток.

Несколько более активной формой такой сублимации является графомания в различных видах художественного и научного творчества.

If this is not related to a diagnosed mental illness (psychiatrists rather than psychotherapists are involved in such cases), then “creative self-expression therapy”, even without finding public recognition, can bring a certain decrease in frustration. However, each case must be considered separately.

Projection

The term "projection" comes from the English word projection and is translated into Russian as a release . For the first time, using this term in psychotherapy, Z. Freud believed that the subconscious mind, breaking through the control of our consciousness, throws out true information by which we can judge certain hidden, but global psychological characteristics and personality tendencies.

Термин «проекция» стал особенно популярен в психологии, психотерапии и психиатрии после теоретического обоснования Р.Мюрреем в 1939 г. такого исключительно распространенного в наше время направления психодиагностики, как проективные тесты , которые широко применяются для изучения сферы бессознательного.

В рассматриваемой нами психотерапевтической практике проекция представляет собой перенос собственных неосознаваемых мотивов поведения на объяснение поведения другого человека. Так, конфликтный человек подозревает всех во враждебном к нему отношении, нечестный в нечестности и т.п. Естественно, что такая позиция мешает увидеть реальную проблему в себе и в других и соответственно вместо ее решения приводит к усугублению.

В свою очередь, психотерапевт, обнаружив в клиенте тенденцию к проекции, может лучше понять его, анализируя высказывания о других людях, в которых он будет невольно фиксировать свое внимание на собственных психологических особенностях (в первую очередь - недостатках) и тенденциях.

Здесь, как и в предыдущих случаях, следует помнить, что некоторый уровень проектирования собственных качеств на других людей присутствует у многих людей. Важно разобраться, где это создает и усугубляет серьезные внутренние и внешние проблемы.

Аутизм

Этот термин имеет несколько различное применение в психиатрии и психотерапии. Если в психиатрии он означает серьезное и почти неизлечимое психическое заболевание, при котором больной настолько замыкается в себе, что практически не выходит на контакт и не подлежит никакой коррекции, то в психотерапии аутизм - это лишь тенденция к такому «самозамыканию», снижение общительности до минимума, постоянное стремление к уходу от активной деятельности, самоизоляции.

Если у психически больного «аутиста» эта самоизоляция - неосознанная, чаще всего врожденная, особенность, то клиент психотерапевта с тенденцией к аутизму может осознать эту тенденцию, понять с помощью психотерапевта, что такая жизненная позиция не решает, а лишь усугубляет его проблемы, и наметить пути выхода из этой самоизоляции.

Обычно такой клиент не вообще не воспринимает окружающую действительность, а лишь уходит от контактов, касающихся наболевшей проблемы, просто отказываясь видеть ее реально и предпринимать какие бы то ни было шаги к ее решению.

Однако следует помнить, что практически каждый из нас хотя бы в микровиде сталкивался с таким нежеланием видеть и решать реальные проблемы. Важно разобраться, где вмешательство психотерапевта реально необходимо и обозначившаяся тенденция к уходу в себя может привести к необратимым последствиям в плане усугубления проблем и перехода аутизма от тенденции до болезни.

Итак, перечисленные восемь способов поведения лишь основные из наиболее типичных приемов самообмана, когда клиент оправдывает свой уход от решения реальных жизненных проблем. Это стремление можно охарактеризовать как желание «менять ситуацию, ничего не меняя».

Естественно, что такие подходы не ведут к решению проблемы и обретению субъектности (самостоятельной творческой активности), а, напротив, сохраняют и усугубляют зависимость от проблем, порождающих фрустрацию и нерациональное поведение.

Все классические направления психотерапии и их методы, несмотря на их многообразие и различие, так или иначе направлены на освобождение клиента от нерациональной (то есть лишь кажущейся непреодолимой) зависимости, которая и создает фрустрацию (напряжение, неудовлетворенность, нередко - страдание) человека.

Психотерапевт помогает клиенту расширить сознание - как бы с высоты увидеть пути выхода из лабиринта, казавшегося непреодолимым тупиком, и почувствовать в себе способность самостоятельного (хотя на первом этапе и с помощью психотерапевта) выхода из тупиковой ситуации пассивного (одномерного) объекта к полноценной многогранной жизни активного субъекта.

Мы считаем, что такое умение нужно любому человеку, особенно тем, кто в своей профессиональной деятельности должен помогать людям адекватно вести себя в различных жизненных ситуациях. Это мы и называем психолого-педагогической психотерапией.

В дальнейшем мы, знакомя вас с основами классических психотерапевтических направлений, будем рассматривать возможности подходов и приемов к решению повседневных, бытовых и профессиональных проблем.

Нам бы хотелось, чтобы у вас сформировался активный подход к поиску возможностей творческого использования материала для оказания помощи не только другим, но и самим себе.

Фрейд считал, что чаще всего из перечисленных форм самозащиты сознания от неприятной правды встречаются рационализация, сублимация, проекция и избегание, хотя в виде тенденций постоянно просматриваются и другие их комбинации.

Bypassing the aforementioned defenses, repressed motives and desires (to which Freud primarily relates sexual) break into consciousness in the form of fantasies, dreams, “random” reservations, unexpected actions for himself, etc. That is, the motives that are repressed and undesirable for censorship of consciousness only seem to be absent, but in fact they constantly manifest themselves, affecting the behavior, states, emotions and thoughts of a person, continue to act and significantly influence human behavior. Moreover, having left the circle of consciousness, their actions become much more difficult to control and even more so - manageable.

Periodically repressed motives, breaking into consciousness, due to their unacceptability by the censorship (moral and ethical requirements) of consciousness, cause what IP Pavlov called a “mistake”, a collision without the possibility of reconciliation.

What could follow from this "hopeless" situation?

When a strong, but repressed motive erupts into consciousness, a person, unable to endure this, may fall into a hysterical fit or lead himself in some other neurotic way.

Freud argues that the causes of any neurosis lie in the memory of a traumatic situation that is repressed into the unconscious. Most often, in his opinion, this is due to the libido , unsatisfied or unacceptable (from a moral and ethical point of view), satisfied sexual instinct (even if it happens in dreams or fantasies).

Freud’s many followers have criticized Freud’s exaggerated attention to libido as the main source of neurosis. They believe that Freud attached unreasonably great (one might say, decisive) importance to early childhood sexual experiences.

According to many opponents of Freud, one of the most well-known complexes he identified is very controversial - the Oedipus complex, which is based on the forbidden love of one’s own mother (for boys) and jealousy-hatred of one’s own father.

As is known from mythology, the son of King Oedipus killed his father and married his mother. (True, in order to justify this action, it should be remembered that he did not know that Oedipus was his father, and his wife was his mother.) Freud complements the Oedipus complex with the Electra complex, also taken from mythology, and believes that the girls have a subconscious forbidden love for father and jealousy of the mother.

Of course, when it comes to the hidden and unconscious, to argue is very difficult. However, in real life, we encounter no fewer examples of girls becoming more attached to their mother and often, especially in the context of Russian lack of culture of family relations, firmly take the position of a mother who does not hesitate to “throw mud at” her father during a child.

In fairly harmonious families, with mutual love and respect of parents, children are equally loving to both, but more often the daughter chooses the mother and the son of the father as the object to be followed.

Of course, there are also complexes marked by Freud, but in our opinion they are more often exceptions than the norm and depend more on family relations than on innate instincts.

Critical comments do not question the revolution produced by psychoanalysis in psychology and the founding of modern psychiatry, which showed that, on the one hand, everything is not always the way it seems, but on the other, any, even the strangest state or behavior found material causes, and therefore regulators.

It is clear that the search for the most effective paths in the ocean of the unconscious cannot be a high road and requires consideration of various hypotheses and assumptions.

The main thing to remember is that Freud was first and foremost a practicing psychotherapist, his theories did not come from abstract fantasies. He tried to explain with them gradually the laws of formation and treatment of neuroses gradually emerging from the fog on the basis of a conscientious long-term analysis of a huge number of people, many of whom thanks to Freud got rid of neuroses.

It seems that Freud’s outstanding student Karl Gustav Jung was objectively appreciative of all, saying that one shouldn’t confuse the effective practical methods of treating neuroses found by Freud and his not always justified desire to spread psychoanalysis as a theory (almost as a religion) to explain all spheres of human life.

But back to the other well-known provisions of classical psychoanalysis. According to Z. Freud, a person goes through various phases in his psychosexual development, which in many respects determine the peculiarities of character and his future psychological problems, including neuroses.

These phases: oral, when the child, sucking the mother’s breast, and then the nipple, irritates the erogenous zones of the mouth; but when he receives satisfaction from the act of defecation (he believed that this is why many children love to sit on the pot so much and that they should not be blamed for this); phallic and genital, associated with the genitals.

Freud believed that a child could “get stuck” at one of the phases of his development, “without having received the necessary satisfaction” (early separation from the breast or nipple, denouncing the pleasure of sitting on the pot, etc.), and these “underperformance” will remain in his unconscious sphere, will interfere with the full mental development and will leave its mark on the character and the entire adult life - from minor neurosis to the most serious mental deviations.

Proceeding from Freud's psychoanalytic theory, neuroses arise because the energy of the sexual instinct (libido) “clings” (most often unconsciously) to some personality or other object — a particular object or idea, or thing (compare it with the frustration model cited above ). Psychoanalysis helps to release unreasonably directed and "obsessed" energy, which can be used to achieve a rational goal, or at least not to act destructively, aggravating neurosis and increasing frustration.

The first practical task of psychoanalysis is to help the client realize the true motives of the neurotic (irrational and traumatic psyche) behavioral responses, emotions and thoughts that have been forced into the unconscious realm. Often, when, after hard and painstaking work, such awareness is achieved, it already largely saves from neurosis and frustration or at least directs this path. That is, the first stage of psychoanalytic therapy is to teach the client to perceive himself, his behavior and his motives in reality, as they really are.

For this, psychoanalytic conversation and analysis of the client’s behavior are first used, allowing the therapist to carefully study and formulate as precisely as possible which causes or motives of the neurosis persist from the client’s consciousness, are ignored or rejected (sometimes in a very aggressive form).

One of the most famous methods of Freud in conducting a psychoanalytic conversation is the method of free association.

The essence of the free association method is that the client, sitting comfortably and relaxing (in classical psychoanalysis - lying on the couch), lets his mind drift and begins to utter any words that come to mind, without trying to link them intentionally in some logical sequence . The psychotherapist analyzes all this chaotic verbal material, paying attention to periodically repeated words, phrases, typical sentences and speech constructs. Since the introduction of tape recorders, such an analysis has been carried out by repeatedly listening to tape recordings.

Now there is an experience of using computer analysis of verbal material, although the majority of Freud's orthodox followers try to keep the whole procedure in full compliance with the scrupulous requirements of their famous teacher, who was incredibly painful for any attempt to modify both classical psychoanalysis and its individual technical procedures. For the slightest deviation from the canons, the most loyal students expelled them from their circle completely and irrevocably.

But we still take sin against our hearts and see that from the method of free association, or at least its main idea, can be taken into account and used by us.

In the method of free association there is certainly logic. After all, even when leading a coherent story about an event, we periodically for some reason, without apparent need, use words and turns more often than others. Moreover, this choice is random only at first glance, but in fact it is very individual and to some extent reflects not only the typical features of your personality, but also the features of your very specific state, which was influenced by certain circumstances or people.

Another thing is that it is not so easy to make a correct conclusion about you and your condition, because much is unknown or misunderstood.

And although we cannot reach the level of interpretation available to an experienced professional analyst (without special painstaking and lengthy training and practice), certain regularities and conclusions will become more accessible after becoming familiar with the basics of classical psychoanalysis and in particular the method of free association.

Learn not only to listen to the person whose problems you want to understand, but also to analyze the most frequently repeated words, expressions and speech patterns typical for him in general (or in certain states), even when he speaks on topics that do not concern you directly. Try to remember this conversation without delay, make certain notes, put forward assumptions that need further rechecking, and you will see how much new information to think will you receive.

By training and improving such “conversational observation” all the time, you will be able to understand people much better and the true causes of their experiences and actions that they either don’t want to disclose, or really don’t see and therefore cannot influence them.

This can be called household psychoanalysis.

Next, try to involve this person in the “free associations” game, in which he, without fear of appearing ridiculous or mentally strange, will try to freely start up a stream of consciousness, saying everything that comes to mind, and without worrying about the logical connection between words and expressions, - The game is a game. Record this verbal flow on a tape recorder, and then try to identify the most frequently repeated words and phrases.

Do not rush to conclusions, but only carefully begin to test some hypotheses and assumptions.

Further, as some followers of Freud did, you can try to direct this free flow of consciousness in the direction you are interested in. However, this should be done extremely unobtrusively and trying to "not step on the corn." As soon as there is resistance and negative emotional response from the client, it is necessary to immediately release the flow to freedom, and maybe deliberately for a while to keep it away from the unpleasant object. Although the discovery of such an object, or even only the direction that caused the negative reaction, is also information for consideration.

Many interesting thoughts about yourself can be obtained by analyzing your own free stream of consciousness recorded on a tape recorder.

One of the most well-known representatives of “post-Freudism”, Karen Horney, used similar techniques in the “Self-Analysis” system she developed, although, in fairness, it should be noted that Freud categorically denied the effectiveness of using psychoanalysis on himself.

Oh, and we would get from Freud for such liberties with psychoanalysis! - but what to do, not only we, but many even well-known post-Freudians are experimenting in this direction, especially since classical analysis itself is very vulnerable to criticism, although it awakens many interesting ideas. And it was aimed primarily at psychological and psychotherapeutic help to people who are unable, on their own or by already known means, to get rid of the psychological problems that torment them and persistently repeat the mistakes of their own and other people's behavior.

We emphasize once again: the main, important not only for professionals of psychoanalysis, Freud's merit lies in the fact that he convincingly proved: not everything is as obvious as it seems to us, and therefore many of our and other people's psychological problems, at first glance easily understandable and solvable, they continue to torment us and our loved ones and demand not frontal, but creative, indirect ways of identifying and overcoming them. Having understood this, we will not be so categorical and cruel to others, and to ourselves.

We should not be humbled, but should understand that behind the wrong behavior that hinders us and others, there is not always a stubborn unwillingness and impossibility to improve. It is necessary to have patience and readiness to search, check, reject and again look for ways and means of helping oneself and one's neighbor.

To some extent, by analogy with the method of free association, another, no less famous, Freud's method , the interpretation of dreams, can be considered . Although, of course, this method has its own individual, unique to him, techniques and features. The whole analogy with the method of free associations is the possibility of obtaining and interpreting indirect information that is not realized (or not fully realized) by the client.

Here it is necessary to explain a certain misconception that confuses, to some extent, the interpretation of dreams according to Freud with the interpretations of dreams by fortune-tellers.

These are fundamentally different approaches.

I repeat, Freud was a materialist, defended the so-called psychological determinism, that is, material, although not always obvious reasons for any, even the most bizarre, reactions of the psyche and behavior. Freud was a categorical opponent of all mysticism and occultism, believing that they have nothing to do with science. Therefore, he interpreted dreams not to predict the future, but to explain the true causes of neurosis by past events, which, being ousted from consciousness, penetrate it partially in a hidden and distorted form in the form of dreams.

He even compiled a list of symbols of various dreams and their possible interpretation. It looks a bit like a dream book. But the idea, as we have said, is completely different - not to predict the future, but look for the causes of psycho-traumatic problems and neuroses in the past and present.

In detail with this Freudian "dream book" can be found in his famous work "The Interpretation of Dreams", in which, by the way, according to many experts, the main ideas of the whole classical psychoanalysis are presented most clearly.

I recommend you read this very accessible and small in volume work. You will see that many interpretations of the "dream book" look no less controversial and no more scientific than ordinary folk dream books, which Freud, of course, did not take seriously.

But it is very difficult to criticize Freud, because he was a great practitioner, and most of his discoveries, including interpretations of certain characters in dreams, he deduced, carefully analyzing and filtering the colossal practical material of the therapeutic practice that produced amazing results. Therefore, he did not argue with his opponents, but simply said to them: “Accumulate thousands of examples of successful treatment of neurosis, as I did, then argue whose system is better.”

Analyzing your own and other people's dreams, try to think about the causes and events of the past and present, which in a latent form lurked in the unconscious and are pushing people towards irrational, obviously erroneous, but stubbornly repetitive patterns of behavior.

Remember that the first step to getting rid of neurosis is the realization of its real, and not the reasons invented by us.

Confirmation that you correctly interpret a particular dream symbol is, in Freud's opinion, the client's consent that such or a similar event actually took place.

However, in order to begin your own attempts at interpreting a symbol, you must familiarize yourself thoroughly with Freud's dream book, and indeed with its small in size, but very informative for getting to know the basic ideas of psychoanalysis with the work Interpretation of Dreams.

The next key phenomenon of classical psychoanalysis, highlighted by S. Freud, is widely known as a transfer, i.e. transference. This phenomenon implies the transfer of your relationship or a certain complex towards parents or one of them, as well as their relationship with each other to a psychotherapist or someone who in this case helps to identify and solve client’s psychological problems (at a scientific or everyday level) . That is, this transfer (transfer) can be extended both to the school psychologist, and to the teacher, and to any person who has consciously assumed (or according to the client's perception) this role. This attitude of the client must be taken into account, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it can and should be used.

В повседневной жизни явления трансфера встречаются постоянно - муж ищет в жене качества своей матери, жена в муже качества своего отца, кто-то переносит на реального человека качества выдуманного (или «напяленного» на этого человека) идеала, а потом обижается на то, что реальный человек не соответствует «напяленному» на него идеалу.

Часто такая принудительная идеализация даже льстит самолюбию невесты или жениха, но через некоторое время, поняв, что они не соответствуют этим идеалам, начинают переживать и страдать и они сами, и любящие их фантазеры.

Это один из вариантов переноса, который не часто упоминается в классическом психоанализе, но постоянно существует и приносит многочисленные неудобства и страдания в реальной жизни.

Практический вывод: помочь человеку увидеть другого, значимого для него и даже любимого, человека как можно более реально во избежание будущих разочарований.

Что касается наиболее часто употребляемого в классическом анализе понятия трансфера (переноса), то здесь, как правило, имеется в виду перенос именно на психотерапевта определенных качеств реального или идеального (желаемого) образа родителя. Фрейд считал, что анализ такого трансфера помогает лучше понять реальные или желаемые, но «недополученные» отношения родителей или к родителям.

Исходя из этого, возможно проанализировать, не кроются ли именно в этих отношениях (реальных, надуманных или желаемых) истинные причины сегодняшних переживаний и неврозов клиента.

Иногда анализ детских отношений дает ключ к пониманию проблем взрослых людей, хотя здесь предполагается достаточно высокое искусство психоаналитика, и потому скороспелые и тем более категорические выводы непрофессионалов противопоказаны.

Разумеется, эти первые предположения причин психологического дискомфорта клиента должны быть тактично и тщательно проверены, так как никогда нельзя абсолютизировать какие-то одни факторы психологического влияния, а надо рассматривать все их в органическом взаимодействии.

Очень важно учитывать постоянные напоминания Фрейда, что психоанализ не универсален и не панацея от всех психологических проблем и расстройств. Он утверждал, что главные сферы эффективной психоаналитической психотерапии - это различные неврозы, большинство типов истерии, различные фобии (навязчивые и реально не обоснованные страхи), а также следующие из этих психических состояний нерациональные и нежелательные поведенческие реакции.

Психоанализ очень тонкая вещь и требует исключительной осторожности, тактичности, неспешности в выводах (особенно задевающих самолюбие клиента) и категорических заключениях и рекомендациях.

Серьезное психоаналитическое лечение невроза - длительный процесс рабочего альянса аналитика и клиента. Фрейд предупреждал, что этот процесс может длиться от трех до пяти лет, и безжалостно разоблачал как шарлатанов «торговцев надеждами», к которым он относил тех, кто обещал быстрый успех от психоанализа.

Требования к личности психоаналитика наиболее четко сформулированы Гринсоном (5 правил Гринсона, 1986):

1) всякое высказывание клиента заслуживает внимания психоаналитика;

2) нельзя причинять клиенту боль больше той, которая необходима;

3) аналитик должен быть для клиента гидом на всем пути нового для него психоаналитического курса;

4) аналитик обязан заботиться о сохранении у клиента самоуважения и чувства собственного достоинства;

5) поведение и высказывания психоаналитика должны быть ориентированы на единственную цель - помощь клиенту.

Аналитик должен быть заранее настроен, что его работа не всегда будет радостно и благодарно восприниматься клиентом. Ведь он обнажает его истинное, во многом неприглядное Я , истинные причины его психологических проблем, которые в большинстве случаев клиент заменял более приемлемым для его самолюбия объяснением.

При всей сложности классического психоанализа понимание его основных идей и подходов, признание важной роли бессознательной сферы в формировании и регуляции наших психических состояний и поведенческих реакций необходимы для правильной оценки не только своего, но и чужого поведения.

Questions for self-test

1. Что принципиально нового внес в психологию и психотерапию З. Фрейд?

2. Структура личности по З. Фрейду.

3. Основные положения психоанализа.

4. Основные инстинкты с позиции психоанализа и их влияние на личность, психические состояния и поведение человека.

5. Защитные механизмы сознания по З. Фрейду.

6. Основные техники классического психоанализа.

A warning

Помните, что классический психоанализ требует длительного, скрупулезного освоения под руководством высококвалифицированных профессионалов.

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