Sigmund Freud
"Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength"
BACKROUND
Sigmund Freud was born in Freiberg, or the Czech Republic, on May 6, 1856. Freud developed psychoanalysis, a method through which an analyst unpacks unconscious conflicts based on the free associations, dreams and fantasies of the patient. His theories on child sexuality, libido and the ego, among other topics, were some of the most influential academic concepts of the 20th century.
THEORY/STAGES EXPLANATION
Freud was a physical theorist. Freud (1900, 1905) developed a topographical model of the mind, whereby he described the features of the mind’s structure and function. Freud used the analogy of an iceberg to describe the three levels of the mind. Freud described conscious mind, which consists of all the mental processes we are aware of, and this is seen as the tip of the iceberg. The preconscious contains thoughts and feelings that a person isn't aware of, but can easily be brought to consciousness. It exists just below the level of consciousness, before the unconscious. The preconscious is like a mental waiting room, in which thoughts remain until they 'succeed in attracting the eye of the conscious'. Finally, the unconscious mind comprises mental processes that are inaccessible to consciousness but that influence judgements, feelings, or behavior (Wilson, 2002). According to Freud (1915), the unconscious mind is the primary source of human behavior. Like an iceberg, the most important part of the mind is the part you cannot see.
EXAMPLES
Conscious - If you are thirsty, you get a drink of water.
Preconscious - A childhood memory, it's not always at the front of your mind but you can retrieve it at any time.
Unconscious - Breathing, talking in your sleep, sleep walking