Freud: Darkness in the Midst of Vision

Abstract

Sigmund Freud's early psychoanalytic work, along with his self-analysis, culminated with profound discoveries and brilliant insights. He exposed sexual conflicts of many kinds and cast new light on the emotional events of infancy and childhood; dreams and a method for interpreting them were developed, and he described the many manifestations of the unconscious. He also developed a method of treatment that became the forerunner of modern psychotherapy. He wove his great ideas and methods together in an encompassing system. Along with these brilliant contributions came overblown theories, sweeping generalizations, and personal biases that have plagued psychoanalysis since its inception: the universal Oedipus complex, sexuality as the driving force for all human action, the theory of penis envy for women, and the theory of unconscious homosexuality for men. These sweeping generalizations and imperial theories were fueled by Freud's desire for greatness. This biography, in demythologizing Freud, attempts to allow the real person to emerge in all his human complexity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: introduction)