Skip to content

349 definitions

Sigmund FreudIntroductory Lectures on Psycho-AnalysisDictionaryish

The book's index

Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis

236 concepts · 349 definitions

A–C · 50 concepts · 54 definitions
Definition.com

Psychoanalysis (n.) seldom ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠denies what others assert; it adds something overlooked — which sometimes turns out to be the essence of the matter.

Definition.com

Psychoanalysis (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠defined not by its material but by its technique, which uncovers the unconscious in myth and religion as readily as in neurosis.

Definition.com

Psychoanalysis (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a theory of a piece: offer it a little finger and it soon grasps the whole hand.

Definition.com

Psychoanalysis (n.) cannot ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be watched: its talk brooks no listener, and the patient falls silent before a single indifferent witness.

Definition.com

The Dream (n.) does ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not want to say anything to anyone: it is not a means of communication but is meant to stay ununderstood.

Definition.com

A Dream (n.) drops ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the 'if': a pious man's Sabbath cigarette meant 'if my uncle could sin, I could be cuddled by my mother', and interpretation puts the 'if' back.

Definition.com

The Dream (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a compromise: one sleeps, yet a wish is satisfied; one satisfies a wish, yet goes on sleeping.

Definition.com

The Dream (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠carry a warning, an intention or a reflection, but those belong to its latent thoughts; the dream itself is always also a fulfilled unconscious wish.

Definition.com

The Symptom (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in the end be formed only to escape an otherwise unavoidable outbreak of anxiety.

Definition.com

The Symptom (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a substitute satisfaction for what life withholds: people fall ill of frustration, when reality bars their wishes.

Definition.com

The Symptom (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠exist only while its sense is unconscious: once the hidden process becomes conscious, the symptom must disappear.

Definition.com

The Symptom (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a substitute for something that did not happen — a mental process that should have reached consciousness and was stopped.

Definition.com

Neurosis (n.) helps ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the way the camel helped its Arab rider facing a lion on a cliff path: it leapt with him into the abyss — better to go down in an honourable struggle with fate.

Definition.com

Neurosis (n.) looks ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠like ignorance, as Socrates thought vice was — but telling the patient what he does not know cures nothing.

Definition.com

Neurosis (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be humanity's prerogative over the animals, the reverse side of the very endowments that raised us above them.

Definition.com

Neurosis (n.) needs ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠repression: regression of the libido without repression would produce not a neurosis but a perversion.

Definition.com

The Unconscious (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no longer just what is latent for the moment: it is a realm of the mind with its own wishes, its own language and its own mechanisms.

Definition.com

The Unconscious (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not only "unconscious for the moment": some wishes have never been known by the person who has them, and never will be.

Definition.com

The Unconscious (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠called a mere manner of speaking — a thing not real that produces effects as tangible as an obsessional action!

Definition.com

The Unconscious (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the infantile: every night dreams carry us back to a child's egoism and loves.

Definition.com

Illness (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be the reason rather than the obstacle: the girl said she could not marry while so ill — perhaps she fell so ill in order not to marry.

Definition.com

Illness (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be an act of loyalty: a separated wife's neurosis protected her husband from gossip and kept her faithful to him.

Definition.com

Illness (n.) draws ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠love back from the world into the aching organ; hypochondria does the same for an organ that only seems ill.

Definition.com

An Illness (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠lasts begins to behave like an independent organism, with something like an instinct of self-preservation.

Definition.com

Hypnosis (n.) has ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a normal twin in the nursing mother's sleep: deaf to the world, she stays in rapport with one person, and only her baby can wake her.

Definition.com

Hypnosis (n.) acts ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠like a cosmetic, covering things over; analysis like surgery, exposing and removing them.

Definition.com

Hypnosis (n.) proved ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠that a man can know what he thinks he does not: pressed hard by Bernheim, the woken subject slowly recalled everything.

Definition.com

Hypnosis (n.) hid ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the resistance by damming it at the borders of a small free area; psychoanalysis proper began when Freud gave it up.

Definition.com

Resistance (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the patient fighting for his illness against the person helping him, like a man with toothache who grabs the dentist's hand at the forceps.

Definition.com

Resistance (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the dream-censorship still on duty during interpretation, a permanent institution that keeps the distortion in place.

Definition.com

Resistance (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠unmoved by conviction, and the very idea it objects to always turns out to be the decisive one.

Definition.com

Resistance (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not to be feared but provoked: overcoming it is the essential work of analysis and the only proof that something has been achieved.

Definition.com

The Libido (n.) characteristically ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠struggles against submitting to the reality of the universe — to Ananke.

Definition.com

Libido (n.) does ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not grow in its own likeness but passes through phases that do not resemble one another, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

Definition.com

The Libido (n.) chooses ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the forbidden by preference in dreams: other men's wives, mother, sister, father, brother — a ruthless egoism the censor must hide.

Definition.com

The Libido (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠docile while satisfaction beckons; doubly frustrated, it turns refractory and remembers better times.

Definition.com

A Parapraxis (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a compromise, half success and half failure for each of the two intentions fighting over it.

Definition.com

A Parapraxis (n.) grants ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a wish one ought to deny oneself, disguised as a lucky accident.

Definition.com

Parapraxis (n.) puts ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠whatever interests us in place of what is strange: in wartime every word looks like a town, a general, a battle.

Definition.com

A Parapraxis (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a chance event but a serious mental act, born of two intentions working against each other.