Abstract

This article makes the case that the unconscious is not the sole property of the individual. It is based in interpersonal influences and interaction. Each person’s unconscious is jointly constructed from the individual mind and intimate interaction with others as well as the more distant but constant interaction with the social world and the culture in which the individual lives. In turn, each individual constantly influences the joint unconscious pool in which he lives. We also show that the idea that Freud invented the unconscious as an individual should be modified to show the multiple influences on him during the discovery of the unconscious.

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