Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFreud’s Three Levels of the MindUnconscious Mind and BehaviorAccessing the Unconscious MindThe Preconscious Mind
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Freud’s Three Levels of the Mind
Unconscious Mind and Behavior
Accessing the Unconscious Mind
The Preconscious Mind
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Famed psychoanalystSigmund Freudbelieved that behavior and personality were derived from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness: the preconscious,conscious, andunconsciousminds.He believed that each of these parts of the mind plays an important role in influencing behavior.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
About Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalytic theory. While his ideas were considered shocking at the time and create debate and controversy even now, his work had a profound influence on a number of disciplines, includingpsychology, sociology, anthropology, literature, and even art.
The termpsychoanalysisis used to refer to many aspects of Freud’s work and research, including Freudian therapy and the research methodology he used to develop his theories. Freud relied heavily upon his observations andcase studiesof his patients when he formed his theory of personality development.
How Psychoanalysis Influenced Psychology
Freud delineated the mind in distinct levels, each with their own roles and functions.The three levels of the mind are:
Freud likened the three levels of mind to an iceberg. The top of the iceberg that you can see above the water represents the conscious mind. The part of the iceberg that is submerged below the water, but is still visible, is the preconscious. The bulk of the iceberg that lies unseen beneath the waterline represents the unconscious mind, often also referred to simply as the unconscious.
2:20Click Play to Learn More About Freud’s Three Levels of Mind
2:20
Click Play to Learn More About Freud’s Three Levels of Mind
How the Unconscious Mind Affects Behavior
While the information in the unconscious mind is outside of awareness, it continues to have an influence on a person’s behavior. Some of the ways the unconscious can affect behavior include:
The Freudian Slip
Another example of the unconscious mind can be seen in what are known as slips of the tongue. Many of us have experienced what is commonly referred to as aFreudian slipat some point or another. These misstatements are believed to reveal underlying, unconscious thoughts or feelings.
Freud believed that while the unconscious mind is largely inaccessible, the contents can sometimes bubble up unexpectedly, such as in dreams or slips of the tongue.
An example of a Freudian slip is a man who accidentally uses a former girlfriend’s name when referring to a current girlfriend. While most of us might believe this to be a simple error, Freud believed that the slip showed the sudden intrusion of the unconscious mind into the conscious mind, often due to unresolved or repressed feelings.
According to Freud, thoughts and emotions outside of our awareness continue to exert an influence on our behaviors, even though we are unaware (unconscious) of these underlying influences.
The unconscious mind can include repressed feelings, hidden memories, habits, thoughts, desires, and reactions. Memories and emotions that are too painful, embarrassing, shameful, or distressing to consciously face are stored in the enormous reservoir that makes up the unconscious mind.
To identify the roots of a psychological distress, Freud employed techniques likedream analysisand free association (the sharing of seemingly random thoughts) to bring true feelings to light.
The Role of the Preconscious Mind
The contents of the conscious mind include all of the things that you are actively aware of. The closely related preconscious mind contains all of the things that you could potentially pull into conscious awareness. The preconscious also acts as something of a guard, controlling the information that is allowed to enter into conscious awareness.
Preconscious memories are not the same things as memories that are readily accessed, such as remembering your way home. They are unrepressed memories that we extract for a specific purpose at a specific time.
The Takeaway
Although many of Freud’s ideas have fallen out of favor, the importance of the unconscious has become perhaps one of his most important and enduring contributions to psychology.Psychoanalytic therapy, which explores how the unconscious mind influences behaviors and thoughts, has become an important tool in the treatment ofmental illnessand psychological distress.
Freud’s 5 Stages of Psychosexual Development
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Boag S.Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.Bargh JA.Our unconscious mind.Sci Am. 2013;310(1):30-37. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0114-30Zimmermann J, Löffler-Stastka H, Huber D, et al.Is it all about the higher dose? Why psychoanalytic therapy is an effective treatment for major depression.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2015;22(6):469-87. doi:10.1002/cpp.1917Additional ReadingDe Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: A conceptual analysis.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210-17. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Boag S.Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.Bargh JA.Our unconscious mind.Sci Am. 2013;310(1):30-37. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0114-30Zimmermann J, Löffler-Stastka H, Huber D, et al.Is it all about the higher dose? Why psychoanalytic therapy is an effective treatment for major depression.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2015;22(6):469-87. doi:10.1002/cpp.1917Additional ReadingDe Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: A conceptual analysis.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210-17. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Boag S.Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.Bargh JA.Our unconscious mind.Sci Am. 2013;310(1):30-37. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0114-30Zimmermann J, Löffler-Stastka H, Huber D, et al.Is it all about the higher dose? Why psychoanalytic therapy is an effective treatment for major depression.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2015;22(6):469-87. doi:10.1002/cpp.1917
Boag S.Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.
Bargh JA.Our unconscious mind.Sci Am. 2013;310(1):30-37. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0114-30
Zimmermann J, Löffler-Stastka H, Huber D, et al.Is it all about the higher dose? Why psychoanalytic therapy is an effective treatment for major depression.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2015;22(6):469-87. doi:10.1002/cpp.1917
De Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: A conceptual analysis.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210-17. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437
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