Originally a method of treating mental disorders derived from the theory and practice of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), psychoanalysis precipitated a mode of thinking about human behavior and motives that had a profound effect on the culture and thought of the 20th century.

Among the powerful ideas that Freud generated was the concept of the unconscious, the theory that a major portion of the human psyche lies hidden from the conscious mind. The mind in its totality, according to Freud, is divided into three major areas: the "ego," the rational, though partly unconscious, governing principle; the "id," the force of instinctive energy; and the "superego," another unconscious element, the censoring voice of parent and society. The task of psychoanalysis, according to Freud, is "to strengthen the ego, make it more independent of the superego . . . and so to extend [the ego's] organization [so] that it can take over new portions of the id. Where id was, there shall ego be." A central concept in classical psychoanalysis revolves around the Oedipal conflict, the theory that at a certain stage of infancy, very young children experience an intense love for the parent of the opposite sex and a consequent hatred and fear of the other parent, whom they view as a rival. The Oedipal conflict is a prime example of repressed material, unwanted memories that have been excluded from the conscious mind.

In treatment, psychoanalysts frequently rely on clues in a patient's free associations, slips of the tongue, and, particularly, dreams. In this process, the analyst anticipates and frequently receives resistance from the patient.

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