PSYCHODYNAMIC INTERPRETATION OF MIND BY SIGMUND FREUD: Sigmund Freud belong to Austria and a Jewish by birth. His works started in the early 1900 and onwards to late 1940s . He explored unconscious parts of mind using analytical-interpretative model. He proposed a dynamic and structural model for the mind using meta-psychological methods. He proved that mental phenomena are subjected to scientific interpretation. He later proposed instinct theories which later led to ego psychology, object relation theories and self psychology. Freudian structural interpretation of mind has revealed three modes. 1. Superego 2. Ego 3. Id.
Superego: The reservoir of highest social and spiritual aspect and qualities. These are determined in the conscious mind. The conscious aspects interact with external world of the individual. It is partly conscious and partly unconscious.
Ego: the most active part of mind which uses various defenses and regulates the mind against the destruction and the drives of the self. It is partly conscious and partly unconscious.
Id: the repository of basic animal qualities like feeding, reproduction , excretion, safety..Etc. It is totally unconscious. Superego drives the mind towards higher social qualities including spirituality. Highest superego state may be the one of the union with supreme metaphysical entity. Id strives to preserve the mind and the body , by indulging in worldly deeds or pleasures which are necessary for the very survival of materialistic existence of organism. The ego uses defenses to prevent the harsh punishments of superego for failing to fulfill the social or spiritual norm. It also minimizes the primitive drives of id without renouncing the life sustaining necessities of the body. The purpose of these transactions is the fulfillment of man's basic needs and desires. When these systems are at odds , person is maladjusted.