I'm not a robot

CAPTCHA

Privacy - Terms

reCAPTCHA v4
Link



















Original text

Freud calls repression both the dynamic process itself and the state in which the repressed remains. But upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the concept of “state” in relation to repression is also better to replace with the more suitable concept of “process”, since in the case of internal irritations it is impossible to completely get rid of them, and therefore in any case certain efforts are required. The metaphor of “escaping” from the unwanted stimulation of the drive would mean escaping from oneself, from one’s very foundations. But where to run then? There is no space where you can hide. And the introduction of the dimension of “space” itself into the psyche will then mean the emergence of the unconscious as such, with the possibility of distinguishing between two “scenes”. The unconscious is the very possibility of disposition, and repression, on the one hand, sets the dimension of locality, on the other hand, it is itself subject to localization. These are not two different processes, but two different views (descriptions) of the same process, strikingly similar to the current one in quantum physics. Matter (mass) bends the space-time continuum on one side, the curvature of the continuum creates matter on the other. There is no uncurved continuum, just as there is no matter outside it. Before the rational refusal of satisfaction can cope with the instinctual impulses through condemnation, repression develops - non-escape, and non-condemnation. Along with repression, the unconscious and consciousness appear as a by-product, and, ultimately, our “I” and the whole beautiful world around us. The essence of repression is that the verbal representation associated with it is taken away from the repressed idea, and the libidinal affect is transferred to another (similar) idea changes polarity, turns into fear, or is converted into a somatic, sometimes motor symptom. The division of neuroses into three forms, which will be discussed below, is based on the difference in the fate of affect. Full-fledged repression is not always possible, and at first this function in the as yet undifferentiated mental apparatus is performed by inversion and retroflexion of drive, which will later become components of “full-fledged” repression. The conditions for the occurrence of repression are as follows: firstly, the presence of what was previously repressed is required, up to the first repressed. Secondly, the realization of the drive associated with this or that idea must be accompanied by an unpleasant feeling. Thirdly, the attraction should not be too strong, vital, like hunger or thirst. What was previously repressed contains certain primitive ideas of early childhood, right up to the infancy period, ideas that were formed as a result of a certain immaturity of defense mechanisms and a lack of information. These first-fantasy ideas are described in detail by M. Klein. On these first fantasies, as on a matrix, new repressed ideas are laid, and then even later ones are laid on them, forming an individual unconscious drawing - an imprint - the history of a particular subject. The reason for repression is an unpleasant affect, thus, initially based on completely fantastic premises - for example, on the projected idea that parents can eat him or castrate him (at an older age) for “bad” desires and thoughts. It is far from a fact that for these thoughts, even if expressed out loud, the child would face at least some kind of punishment in reality. When repression is carried out, reality is the last to be agreed upon; perhaps reality is needed here only as a supplier of material for the construction of an intersubjective phantasmogorical unconscious reality, just as the remnants of daytime impressions serve as the building material of a dream. Thus, primary repression is associated with the fixation of drive on a given representation , which itself remains unchanged, but at the same time all other ways of satisfying this desire are excluded. There is only one cherished satisfaction, and therefore it is forbidden.Or rather, it is prohibited, and therefore it is the only one. The forbidden fruit, forbidden love, is the only true fruit, true love. The verbal component of the forbidden idea is separated from it, and its non-vocality renders it unconscious. The second stage of repression is associated with the repression (deprivation of the right to vote) of mental derivatives - ideas associated with forbidden attraction. If we draw an analogy with a dictatorial regime, we get a rather terrible picture. The stronger the onslaught of attraction, the more distant relatives and acquaintances of the primary idea are subject to repression. Moreover, political “purges” are carried out not only on the basis of family ties. The repressed could live with the first repressed, they could have something in common in facial features, clothing, preferences. They could even be convicted based on the similarity of names! But mental repressions are much more “democratic” than real ones. Those exiled to the unconscious Gulag do not die, but on the contrary, start families, and live, in general, not bad, except for the fact that their documents were destroyed (although not, they were transferred to another “deputy”). Repression would consist mainly of “legal” isolation, while maintaining the “informal” component of social relations. This is where it is worth completing this analogy, since it will be more difficult to explain further using the example of the repressed. The stronger the repression (not attraction, but repression, isolation), the more monstrous forms voiceless ideas acquire. They are like ghosts that can only frighten a neurotic, but, of course, cannot cause any real harm, since the power of the Super-Ego in this case is too strong. Such a subject, who owns castles with ghosts and monsters, is sometimes infinitely far from realizing even an innocent prank, not to mention some incestuous-cannibalistic ideas that have grown “in the darkness of the unconscious.” An indicator of the activity of a repressed drive is the amount of affect that determines the state of this idea . The transition of drive to an active state does not mean the cessation of repression; it only speaks of the actualization of the conflict. In this case, repression usually increases rather than decreases. The realization of an actualized drive can also occur in the usual roundabout way (as for the direct one, it must be said that it does not exist, it is virtual) bypassing consciousness. The symptom performs the same function. The entire “psychopathology of everyday life” performs this function. Acuteness in this regard is different in that repression actually stops, but only for a short time. The fate of the repressed idea is the same - a shift along the associative axis, a kind of “renaming”, deprivation of a verbal designation, which psychoanalysis can then return to it. The fate of affect (the quantitative correlate of drive) may be different, depending on the degree of differentiation of the mental apparatus and the individual history of the subject, but it should be noted that any repression in this sense is unsuccessful. It is unsuccessful because it leaves behind a symptomatic tail, a replacement formation (evidence that they tried to hide something here, to erase it), which nevertheless turns out to be more acceptable than the drive that is being driven out. Here we need to correct ourselves: it is more acceptable for the subject who carried out the repression (no, of course, in fact the subject did not perform any repression, he cannot achieve anything at all), but he is not equal to the current subject; defenses have become stronger and more stable, some infantile myths have completely lost their power, and repression may no longer make any sense. Repression is also unsuccessful because it requires a continuous effort opposite in intensity to the drive to maintain it. The drive can be completely suppressed (complete conversion of affect into a somatic, motor sensory symptom) is characteristic of conversion hysteria. Ideally, this is a bodily symptom and a “beautiful” indifference to.