Book by Jean-Claude Filloux "subconscious mind"

Goal of the day: 158 words. Written: 692.

"This book will not be a critical and comprehensive analysis of the gnoseological interpretation of the unconscious. This small book consists of three parts. The first deals with the unconscious before Freud, the second analyses Freud's view of the unconscious, and the third examines the influence of Freud's theory and the unconscious after him."

- Jean-Claude Filloux, in the introduction to the book, pages 7-8.

It was one of the most complex, incomprehensible and yet (strangely) interesting books I've read in a long time. I picked it up in the early summer of 2015 and finished it... almost a year later, in April 2016.

But it was worth it.

If you want to find a short but informative introduction to the unconscious in the time of Sigmund Freud, or an introduction to the field of psychoanalysis, then this book is for you. If you don't want to discover that, but you like to rape your brain and learn strange things, then this book is for you too.

Let me evaluate the book in more detail.

Rating if you're not going to read on:

• Interest of the topic(s): 6/10
• Writing style and words: 7/10
• Consistency of information: 10/10
• Enjoy reading: 5/10
• Overall: 7/10

My discoveries...

Reading this book made me realise that:

1. Some books on psychology are so full of unheard phrases and words and so compressed that it is hard to concentrate on them and takes 8-9 months or more to read.
2. The person who read this book before me psychologist Rasa Venckutė (from whom I got it as a gift) is one of those people who likes to write down every third word in pencil. Yes, there are a lot of new phrases in this book that are worthy of attention and study (I've wiked a lot myself), but THAT many? It turns out that the book was not only new to me.
3. Not a discovery, but Sigmund Freud's name was and still is S No Zigmund. I don't know why some people in Lithuania are so keen to change names, to make them Lithuanian, and to turn the Johns into Jonahs. It's a good thing they don't suggest renaming Sigmund Freud to Antanas Froidas, because, hey, Antanas is more Lithuanian!
4. I have serious doubts about the significance of the Oedipus complex (a child's sexual attraction to his/her opposite-sex parent and jealousy/anger towards a same-sex family member). Does this really exist? Why did Sigmund mention it in most of his works? According to him, everyone has this complex, more or less.
5. It turns out that Freud was indeed a little crazy about genitals and subconscious thoughts. True Freudianism!
6. However, the importance of the genitals was reinforced by Freud's disciple Adler, who followed Freud in proposing the idea that people who have genitals of insufficient beauty (size, shape, functionality) try to compensate for this by creating neuroses. It is a fascinating idea. I'm not sure if it is still worthy of attention.
7. In the 190x and similar times, the science of psychology was obsessed with hysteria, hypnosis, automatic writing and thinking errors and other mental subtleties of this series of unconscious activities.
8. In the 191x and onwards, neuroses (essentially chronic versions of unconscious mental illnesses) came into focus and concepts of the unconscious evolved. Golden times for Freud, who was the head chef here.
9. According to Freud and scientists of the time, our conscious and unconscious minds merge during dreams. The unconscious also takes over in unconscious activities, such as practicing automatic writing, giving impromptu speeches (toasts, speeches, etc.), or taking action in moments of hysteria.
10. According to Freud, forgetfulness is not the automatic deletion of information after N seconds. It is an active act of pushing unpleasant and damaging ideas back into the subconscious. Similarly, thoughts that have not even reached the memory - according to Freud, anything that did not make it past the brain's "guard" went into the unconscious part of the mind.
11. If the previous paragraph is correct, then... What did you unknowingly omit from all the first paragraphs? Perhaps the idea that you too have an Oedipus complex? Or maybe something else?
12. After Freud, there were psychologists who delved into the writers' work, ideas, and themes, and judged the psychology of the authors on that basis. Otto Rank, Charles Baudouin, Gaston Bachelard and others worked here. It seems to have been quite an interesting subject. What would the psychologists say about my writing?
13. "The better one knows oneself and, having discovered the "other" within oneself, becomes aware of the obscure forces pushing one towards both good and evil, the easier it will be to choose which path one is destined to take." - In the words of Jacques Lacan. Those are damn good words. And a fitting end to this book.

Observations and comments to the author:

• The book is really low on your ideas as an author, Filloux. Although it was not really necessary (the book is, after all, presented as a synopsis of the theme of the Unconscious), the concise presentation of the facts made me feel like I was reading a textbook at times. A boring textbook.
• Thank you for all the names, ideas, unheard phrases and links.

After reading effect:

The book is going on my "worth a second read" shelf. I will also carefully go through it again with my eyes and start a more precise analysis of the people mentioned and their work. Although the book is written in a complex way, I really enjoyed reading it.

Shrink the brain,
Daniel