Oedipus complex, what is it according to Freud

If we talk about what the Oedipus complex is, then, according to Freud, this complex is mandatory and universal for all in childhood. Oedipus complex, what is it? This is one of the concepts used by Freud in classical psychoanalysis in order to denote the child's contradictory attitude towards his parents. That is, this explains the manifestation in the child of unconscious drives, which are accompanied by the expression of feelings of both love and hatred towards parents.

Ancient Greek tragedy, which formed the basis of the Oedipus complex

Oedipus complex, what is it, can be explained with the help of the tragedy of Sophocles' ancient time "King Oedipus". This tragedy tells about the miserable fate of Oedipus. Unconsciously, he first kills his father Lai, then to become the husband of his mother, Jocasta. After he learns from the oracle about the deeds committed by him, he blinds himself.

It is from this myth that Freud derived the idea of where the Oedipus complex originated from men. And, as Freud believed, this complex is inherent in every person. He claimed that our dreams prove that everyone without exception sends their first sexual attraction to the mother and their first desire to cause violence - to the father.

Oedipus complex according to Freud

Studying the memories of adults and watching the children, Freud concluded that the manifestation of the Oedipus complex is universal. A boy in his childhood is erotically attached to his mother and wants to master it. In this case, the father perceives them as a hindrance. The girl also feels the need to eliminate the mother, as she feels warm feelings towards her father.

Oedipus complex, what is it according to Jung

In the psychoanalytic literature, to designate the Oedipus complex in women, often use the concept introduced by Jung K.G. - the Electra complex. And this name also takes its roots from the ancient Greek myth of the daughter of Agamemnon. In this tragedy Electra helped to kill her mother, who was guilty of the death of her father.

But Freud, arguing on the subject "Oedipus complex, what is it?", Believed that it is equally characteristic of all people, regardless of what sex they belong to. Freud justified this by saying that a man has a masculine and feminine origin, and his bisexuality leads to the fact that a child can take an active or passive position.

The displacement of the Oedipus complex

According to Freud, the Oedipus complex begins to manifest itself in children aged 3 to 5 years. And the task of everyone is to overcome it, since this process is mandatory for the development of the child, characterized by the transition from the phase of child sexuality to the normal path of human development. If he remains in the unconscious child, it can cause the child's neurologization and affect his psychological disorders already in adulthood.

But, despite the universality of the complex, Freud did believe that boys and girls develop and develop differently. Fear of the boy before castration as punishment for the attraction to the mother leads to his aversion from the Oedipus complex. And the boy sublimates his drives on other socially acceptable goals.

The girl, according to Freud, normally reacts to the fact that she does not have a penis, but she is jealous of the organ she does not have and wants to receive it from her father. The desire lasts a fairly long period, so the girls leave the Oedipus complex slowly. But the continued preservation of girls in this complex contributes to the preparation of a woman for her sexual maturation.