Posted by Noa on May 30, 2000, at 15:29:31
In reply to Re: So, what's your point?, posted by Ginny on May 30, 2000, at 13:34:17
Whether Freud contributed anything useful to the science/art of psychiatry is one question. Whether to adhere wholesale to his theories, or use his analytical approach is another. We certainly wouldn't hold dogmatically to theories in other areas of knowledge without acknowleging modifications resulting from emerging knowledge.
As for unconscious....Do I believe it exists? Yes. But let me explain. The unconscious, as Freud conceived it, lock stock and barrel, no. But does that mean I must discard the concept of unconscious fantasy, thought, feeling, motivation? No. I believe the concept of unconscious can be consistent with modern neuroscience, because the concept of unconscious, as I see it, is not the entity that Freud hypothesized. It is more of process. I think it is possible for the human brain to engage in unconscious processes that influence our behavior, emotions and cognition. The unconscious processes are probably a result of encoding thoughts, feelings, memories based upon both our environmental experiences as well as our biologically determined ones.
But I think that Freud's concept of an unconscious, as a "part" of the mind, perse, doesn't work for me. Still, his thinking on this started the process of developing new ways of thinking of conscious and unconscious mind, and I think that was a good thing.
poster:Noa
thread:34863
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000526/msgs/35262.html