Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Perspectives On Trauma Theory With Special Reference To Hysteria
Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Perspectives On Trauma Theory With Special Reference To Hysteria
Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Perspectives On Trauma Theory With Special Reference To Hysteria
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2022, Vol. 6, No. 4, 10256–10260
Abstract
Keywords: Freud and Breuer, Hysteria, Trauma literature, Psychological, 21th Century,
Trauma literature analyses the influence of the event or later when reminded of the
trauma on individuals and society by exploring trauma. That is why dissociation goes hand in
the numerous arenas related to it. It explains hand with post-traumatic stress disorder.
the effects of traumatization on the individual
and collective psyche. It also elucidates In the 1990s, Cathy Caruth and Shoshana
releasing these psychic conflicts and tensions Felman, and Geoffrey Hartman revolutionized
in literature for catharsis to accomplish a better the concept of trauma and its depiction within
self- identity. Trauma literature also studies its language and experience in her ‘Unclaimed
psychological, linguistic, cultural, and social Experience’: Trauma, narrative, history (1996)
importance. It ably points out the tasks which takes complete cognizance of Freud’s theories
memory plays in molding personal and social on the same. Caruth puts forth the view that
identities. The basis of trauma studies was the the “rhetorical potential” of recurring figures
Freudian theory when it initially got developed in texts that capture splintered referentiality
in the 90s. Trauma could be defined as a that points to the “knowing and not knowing”
‘psychic wound’ caused by undesired events of the traumatic past, which in turn reveals the
through someone’s unpleasant thoughts, “ traumatic nature of history” itself (1996:
words, and actions. This unacceptable memory 4,18).
is stored in our consciousness layers, carrying
a volatile quality. It splits the self and Nasrullah Mambrol in his article “Literary
separates mental processes resulting in theory and criticism” quotes Caruth who
functioning independently. It sometimes leads argues that trauma is, “not locatable in the
to disorders such as split personality. When simple violent or original event in the
people get dissociate, they get disconnected individual’s past but only identified in the way
from their environment. It can happen during it is precisely not known in the first instance
returns to haunt the survivor later on” ( Caruth social cause of hysteria (Breuer and Freud,
1996: 17,4 ) Caruth further explains that 1895). Janet had concluded that the
“traumatic experience beyond the traumatized mind undergoes a “feebleness” of
psychological dimension of suffering it hereditary origin (Janet, 1907). While Freud
involves, suggests a certain paradox: the most stated that the defense against the traumatic
direct seeing of a violent event occur as an impact was not only in our inner genes but
absolute inability to know it; that immediacy, also when the dynamics of the mind were at
paradoxically may take the form of work”.
belatedness” ( Caruth 1996: 92,7).
Freud insisted that there is no one-to-one
The French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot connection between the traumatic event and
first probed the kinship between this trauma memory. It is dependent on both the internal
and psychological sickness, whose central and external state of affairs. These experiences
study area was hysteria. Hysteria could be are stored at our particular consciousness level
termed as an uncontrollable outburst of and compulsively repeated without any verbal
emotions or unnatural excitement. This is a expression. When he distinguishes between
psychological disorder that carries the anxiety, fear, and fright, he reflects that trauma
symptoms like anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, is a state of panic and could be reverted in the
irritability, screaming, fainting, weakness, form of horrible interruptions and traumatic
obsession, convulsions, etc. He states that nightmares. Freud figured out that the mind is
traumatic occurrences could instigate hypnotic genetically metaphorical as it binds our
symptoms to “describe both the problems of energy. Later on, he perceived that the mind
suggestibility in these patients and the fact that continually tries to hook and connect on a
hysterical attacks are dissociative problems symbolic level. This connection ultimately
resulting from having endured unbearable provides meaning to the traumatizing
experiences. Freud also was influenced by experience in which memory plays a very
Charcot and implemented some of his ideas. In crucial role. When post-traumatic stress
“Studies on hysteria” (1893), co-authored with disorder is diagnosed, it could pave the way
Joseph Breuer, Freud suggested that “we must for constructing traumatic memory. Freud’s
point out that we consider it essential for the conception was that it was not the traumatic
explanation of hysterical phenomena to incident, but their remembrances are viewed as
assume the presence of a dissociation, a infectious memories. These memories were
splitting of the content of consciousness”. later seen in a new context and then
accomplished their recognition as traumatic.
Freud and Breurcalled this fragmentation of He thus concludes that “Hysterics suffer
the psyche “hypnoid hysteria” and established mainly from reminiscences” (Breuer and
its connection to a traumatic stimulus that Freud p.7).
indicates an organism performs a learned
behavior, maximizes reinforcing In their ‘Studies on Hysteria’, Freud and
consequences, and minimizes punishing Breuer describe the memory of the mental
consequences. In 1896 Freud maintained that trauma ‘as a foreign body that must continue
“a precocious experience of sexual to be regarded as an agent that is still at work’
relations…resulting from sexual abuse (Freud and Breur 1955, p.6). He further argues
committed by another person … is the specific that in traumatic neurosis, the operative clause
cause of hysteria, not merely an agent of the illness is not the trifling physical injury
provocateur”. He further says that not the but the effect of fright (Freud and Breuer pp.5-
external traumas but rather the unrepresentable 6). Freud advocated that the retained memory
nature of erotic, dominating, and suppressed traces are unconscious, whereas its memories
desires from past experiences cause hysteria. are conscious. Each memory is organized into
When Charcot, Breuer, and Freud were three layers. Initially, it is binding of
meditating on mental illness, most documents. Secondly, it is divided around an
psychiatrists and physicians viewed it as the infectious nucleus. Freud puts it that it consists
bi-product of heredity and degeneration of the of those recollections in which the traumatic
nervous system. However, Freud and Breuer moment is at its ultimate purity. On a third
enlightened this theory by pointing out the point, there is an order that is located at which
two or more treads meet, then continue as a 1. Breuer J, Freud S: Studies on Hysteria.
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determining or over determines”. Therefore,
Freud’s conception of memory incorporates a 3. Libbrecht K, Quackelbeen J: On the early
complex network of associations, history of male hysteria and psychic
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release of the unpleasure that the translation hemianesthesia in a hysterical male
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second group, situations are determined by the 1966, vol I, pp 23-31.
psychic state. So Freud concludes that 5. Freud S: Hysteria. The Standard Edition
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not included in the activation by retrieval. Psycho-Analytic Publications and
Earlier Freud had developed the idea that the Unpublished Drafts, 1888, pp 37-59.
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he had built his first theory of neurosis. Soon Sigmund Freud, vol III (1893-1899):
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References