Human behaviors discussed within the framework of psychoanalysis

A seminar titled “Psychoanalysis 101” was organized by the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Psychology at Üsküdar University. Asst. Prof. Meltem Narter from the Department of Psychology participated as a speaker in the seminar. During the seminar, the fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis were discussed, and Sigmund Freud's theoretical approach and contributions to the field of psychology were evaluated within a general framework. 

The event, held in the Socrates hall of the South Campus E Block, attracted great interest.

How did psychoanalysis emerge? 

Speaking at the seminar, Asst. Prof. Meltem Narter discussed the emergence of psychoanalysis within a historical context. 

Following Nicolaus Copernicus and Charles Darwin, Narter emphasized that Sigmund Freud created a significant paradigm shift that transformed humanity's self-perception, and stated that psychoanalytic thought created a radical break in the way the human mind is viewed. 

Dreams are symbolic expressions of the unconscious

In her speech, Narter drew attention to the impact of unconscious processes on behavior, stating that individuals may not fully master their own mental processes. 

She emphasized that thoughts, desires, and internal conflicts are largely shaped at an unconscious level. Narter stated that dreams are symbolic expressions of the unconscious, and conveyed that processes such as latent content, displacement, and transformation play an important role in meaning production in dreams. 

Traumas can also originate from mental processes

In the seminar, the structure of the mind was discussed within the framework of the topographic model, explaining the concepts of consciousness, preconsciousness, and unconsciousness. Furthermore, it was emphasized that personality has a dynamic and multilayered structure through the concepts of id, ego, and superego.

While it was stated that slips of the tongue, jokes, and erroneous behaviors that occur in daily life are reflections of the unconscious, it was noted that trauma can originate not only from experienced events but also from mental processes. Narter also touched upon the theoretical distinctions between Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung, stating that psychoanalytic thought diverged into different orientations over time. 

Psychoanalysis offers a multi-dimensional theoretical framework

At the end of the seminar, it was emphasized that psychoanalysis, beyond being merely a therapeutic method, provides a comprehensive and multi-dimensional theoretical framework for understanding human behavior and mental functioning.