Unconcious

Sigmund Freud pioneered several theories on psyche, some of which remain prominent in our collective understanding of the unconscious, especially on sexuality, dreams, and ego functions. One of my favorite films that pokes fun at the Pandora’s box that he incited is “Unconscious.” Set in Victorian era Spain, a love triangle ensues between his devotees, swept up in the drama of his creative, brilliant, and audacious concepts, which expresses the spirit of the times.

When I visited Freud’s London home and spent time in his famous study, I was struck by the palpable energy of Freud’s connection to our deeper ancient wisdom. With archeological relics, volumes of books, and curated objects abound, the mythopoetic cocoon that this man had created, seeped him in some undeniable truths about the underpinnings of psychological phenomenon.

Although many of his notions are thought to be forced or out-dated in our modern understanding, Freud’s theory of Thanatos, the death instinct, and Eros, the life instinct, remains a compelling consideration for me. How do we make sense of this primary destructive urge towards ourselves and others? And on the other hand, towards survival and creation?

To that end, the circular paradox of creation and destruction as a reality of natural and universal law persists within our own psychic realities. While we may have paradoxical instinctive drives, at times hidden from our awareness, the effects on a macro and micro level are evident, yet we resist this reality of life by expecting perfection or all light. I end up thinking of Freud as wise critic/sociologist/anthropologist with something valuable to express the paralleling features of the mind and the nature of mankind.

I recall Allen Koehn, a beloved professor, who would provoke us into deepening with this consideration: “What is the opposite of life?”

Intuitively we answered death. He smiled and said, “Birth is the opposite of death. There is no opposite to life."