May 06, 2016
Sigmund Freud's 160th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Did you wonder what your dream meant this morning? The idea that dreams "mean" anything or that we have an active subconscious mind, is a concept we owe to Sigmund Freud, who was born 160 years ago today. Freud is best known as the father of psychoanalysis, the method of resolving mental illness through a dialogue between a doctor and patient. The Freudian method of interpretation – looking for meaning beyond the surface of things – now extends far beyond the sphere of psychotherapy. Freudian terms like "narcissism," "sibling rivalry," "free association," and "death wish" are part of our vernacular, and Freud's theories continue to fuel heated debate among academics.
A dimpled leather couch might be the typical visual associated with Freud and other therapists, but Doodler Kevin Laughlin instead created this iceberg. With a vast hidden base, the iceberg references the murky depths of the unconscious mind. More importantly, the design draws our eye to the horizon, reminding us how the genius of Freud's practice rests in the space between doctor and patient, reader and text, human and world.
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