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The Ambiguous Unconscious Mind
William Harding
Grand Canyon University
August 19, 2015

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The Ambiguous Unconscious Mind
Analyzing and interpreting the unconscious mind should be the task of the client, where
the Psychoanalyst is the catalyst for discovery. Furthermore, is it the task of the Psychoanalysts
to evaluate a client's unconscious self, such as represented by the id and as expressed within the
content of a dream, or is the challenge of a skilled Psychoanalyst to garner more reliable
information/data through the evaluation of the client's interpretation of content within the
unconscious mind and as cognitively exhibited through the conscious superego? Respectively,
should a client be encouraged to originate a personal interpretation of the disparate relationship
between the id and ego, in order to arrive at a self-realizing awareness that encourages neutrality
or balance between the conscious and unconscious mind as reflected in the ego?
This paper synthesizes seven articles to identify a shared theme that links the articles
through similar values, ideas, and philosophies and possibly where the shared theme is
conflicting and lacking in any professional alignment. Hebbrecht (2013) explores the process of
analyzing dreams as they modulate through years of therapeutic sessions and how the
relationship between the analyst and the client can vacillate between transference-
countertransference. Johansson (2007) examines the history of psychoanalysis from the
profession’s inception to the present, where the internal strife and lack of external recognition
suggests that the profession has an uncertain future. Perera (2013) examines the significance of
dream content related to ego within aging individuals, where information presented is a
retrospective reflection of personal reconciliation with mortality. Klüners (2014) provides an
examination of the principal philosophical history, associations with psychoanalysis, and the
proposed objective roles of historians in their attempts to differentiate fairy tales from facts, such
that the human race might reach a higher level of enlightenment. Newirth (2015) examines the

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transformation of psychoanalytical interpreted symbolic data into rational representations of the
interrelationship between the conscious and unconscious mind. Schut and Castonguay (2001)
examines the pros and cons as well as the logic related to aligning psychoanalysis with academic
psychology for the purposes of benefiting clients and the psychoanalytical community. Lastly,
Summers (2006) examines Freud's work with respect to contemporary application, where the
author explores Freud from the perspective that Freud exists as two separate and distinguishable
individuals (i.e., hermeneuticist and natural scientist).
This paper will discuss common and shared themes that emerged from the synthesis of
information contained within the seven articles, where a common theme was identified as it
relates to the ambiguous interpretation of results derived from a psychoanalytical evaluation of
the unconscious mind. Furthermore, with consideration for the influences that potentially affect
an individual’s personal development and where those affects are often consciously realized or
unconsciously expressed in adulthood, it is critical to examine past influences, present attributes,
and personality traits in order to create an objective and consistent representation of each
individuals id (i.e., pleasure seeking), ego (i.e., balance/regulation), and superego (i.e.,
avoidance/fear). Whereas, there often appears to be some uniformity within specific circles of
psychoanalytic professionals, as it applies to the theory of exploring the unconscious mind, the
personal perspectives offered by the authors of each evaluated articles inevitably clashed,
supporting the proposal that analysis of the unconscious mind will yield inconsistent and
ambiguous results, unique to individual Psychoanalyst who are personally involved in client
evaluations.
Disparate Themes and Ambiguous Analysis

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Through examination of the seven referenced articles, it was clear that the information
presented by Hebbrecht (2013) and Perera (2013) aligned such that a common and shared theme
relating to analysis of dreams and the unconscious mind could be exposed and discussed.
Whereas, the material presented by Johansson (2007) and Klüners (2014) focused entirely on the
history of psychoanalysis, where considerable detail was provided regarding the internal and
external struggles that the Psychoanalyst profession has faced over time. Furthermore, the
principal theme that emerged from the Johansson (2007) and Klüners (2014) articles was that the
Psychoanalyst profession is dynamic even at the individual level, where methods, interpretations,
and collaborative relationships are not a constant, existing in a state of flux. Accordingly,
Klüners (2014) supports an objective approach in assessing information, and discusses the role of
the historian in “. . . the reconstruction of the intention of human action.” (p. 55), expressing
obvious similarities between a historian and a phycologist. Moreover, though the author
supports an objective approach that enables the historian to filter the distortion of historical facts
to arrive at a positive solution for the client, the author's discussion of various individuals who
obviously influenced Freud, clearly exposes the multitude of views that conclude into completely
divergent interpretations. Likewise, Newirth (2015) supports the divergent or changing nature of
psychoanalytic theory, which further supports the hypothesis that standardization across the
psychoanalytical profession does not exist and that any analytical assessments of a client from
two different Psychoanalysts, will result in ambiguous data that cannot be tested or proved. That
point is further supported within the Summers (2006) article, where Freud's work is examined
with respect to being relevant in present day application or being insufficient given
advancements in the last 100 years. Accordingly, the fact that Freud never published any large
body of seminal work (mostly short single focused material), further fuels the disconnect

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between various psychoanalytic camps as well as with academic psychology in their subjective
interpretations of Freud's work (Summers, 2006).
Comparatively, the Schut and Castonguay (2001) article supports aligning psychoanalysis
with academic psychology, which would appear to dispute this paper’s hypothesis of ambiguous
psychoanalytical results, however the general consensus from the psychoanalytical community is
to remain detached from academic psychology because of patient privacy, complexity of the
profession such as is associated with the disparate nature and multitude of mental contents,
where it is believed that applying scientific methods to psychoanalytical sessions will in some
way contaminate the process. That being considered, the suggestion that an academic evaluation
of psychoanalytical processes will somehow reduce the effectiveness of the process, further
supports the proposal that there is a disconnect between individual interpretations (i.e.,
ambiguous results) and the subjective application of the psychoanalytical process, which is
described as ". . . vague analytic constructs . . ." (Schut & Castonguay, 2001, p. 42).
Subsequently, and following a deeper examination of the details and the inferences to
analysis of the unconscious mind, a common theme did emerge related to ambiguous results
associated with subjective interpretation of client dreams and the unconscious mind. With that in
mind, even the seemly disparate theme within the Johansson (2007), Klüners (2014), Schut and
Castonguay (2001), and Summers (2006) articles supports the suggestion that a misalignment of
theories and conclusions within the profession of psychoanalysis has led to ambiguous results
being expressed, following the examination of the unconscious mind.
Interpretation of the Unconscious Mind
The examination of dreams has opened an entrance into the unconscious mind such that
Psychoanalysts are able to delve into the conflicts between the id and the superego in such a way

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as to enable exposing issues that defeat the ego’s ability to maintain a healthy balance. The
information presented in the Hebbrecht (2013), Perera (2013), and Newirth (2015) articles
encourage the Psychoanalyst to explore the unconscious mind through each client’s
interpretation of the content and relevance exposed.
However, the point where clients offer their interpretation of dreams is where the three
articles diverge from their methods and techniques of assessing the client interpretations.
Hebbrecht (2013) and Newirth (2015) suggests that transference-countertransference occurs
between the client and the analyst, where instead of a maintaining an objective relationship
between the analyst and the client, there is personal immersion by the analyst such that
considerable subjective personal interpretation of dream content is injected by the analyst in their
role as a participant observer. Similarly, Schut and Castonguay (2001) infer support for the
analyst becoming immersed within the client sessions such that the analyst can experience what
the client is expressing. That being said, the metaphorical Wizard of Oz character (i.e., id)
discussed in the Newirth (2015) article and the character’s relevance to the subjective
interpretation of psychoanalysis, exemplifies the ambiguous nature of psychoanalytical data
results. Conversely, both Perera (2013) and Summers (2006) remain relatively objective in the
interpretation of dream content, where the authors examine client information as it relates to the
great mother and self-discovery as well as from the perspective of a hermeneuticist and natural
scientist. Nonetheless, though the four articles lack analytical alignment, their individual
approaches support the hypothesis that an examination of the unconscious mind by multiple
Psychoanalysts will yield ambiguous results.
Infancy, Adolescences, and Psychoanalysis Alignment

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Understanding the history of psychoanalysis is a critical step in understanding the vast
differences within the profession, where a more complete picture can be drawn as it relates to
identifying the logic behind the various philosophies, techniques, and methods associated with
psychoanalysis. With the brush of an artist, Johansson (2007) and Klüners (2014) paint a picture
in near 3D, such that the information in the articles form a mural depicting characters in a chaotic
fever of secrecy, mistrust, temporary allegiances, and isolation. Whereas, even the history of
psychoanalysis is skewed by Psychoanalysts who rewrite their own history as they adjust their
personal theories or form contrasting alliances with other peers (Johansson, 2007).
By extension, the Johansson (2007) and Klüners (2014) inferences to the conflicting
views within the various historians and psychoanalysts camps as well as the variety of
interpretations associated with defining the unconscious and conscious mind, supports the shared
common theme among the evaluated articles related to the ambiguity of results expressed during
the interpretation of the unconscious mind. Moreover, the inability for early psychologists and
psychoanalysts to remain objective in their interpretations of the unconscious mind or to agree on
whether the unconscious and conscious mind is clearly divided, overlaps, or has methods for
bridging, further supports the suggested ambiguity of psychoanalytic results. Correspondingly,
as is inferred by Summers (2006), the fact that Freud approached dream analysis from both the
perspective of the hermeneuticist and natural scientist, emphasizes the duality of Freud's
interpretive methods and leaves the door open for future Psychoanalysts to use subjective
interpretation methods in the examination of the unconscious mind, resulting in ambiguous
information. Subsequently, though Schut and Castonguay (2001) do not delve into the history of
psychoanalysis, the disconnect between academic psychology and psychoanalysis, under the
guise of professional complexity, aligns with the Johansson (2007) and Klüners (2014)

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discussions related to divided psychoanalytic camps, methods for interpreted analysis, and
misaligned results.
Conclusion
Following the evaluation of the seven articles as single entity, the importance of
evaluating the unconscious mind as exposed through a client’s interpretation of dream content is
a critical step in assisting the Psychoanalyst with identifying influences that have affected an
individual’s development stages and obstacles that are limiting a client from leading a healthy
and normal life. That being considered, the content within the evaluated articles exemplified the
suggestion that no two evaluations of the unconscious mind will align, further supporting the
proposal that results derived from psychoanalytical examination of the unconscious mind will be
inconsistent and ambiguous. With that in mind, it is proposed that the disconnect and lack of
clear understanding for Freud's body of work, exemplifies the chaotic state within which the
psychoanalytic profession resides and further supports the hypothesis that no two Psychoanalyst
will consistently arrive at the same psychoanalytical results.
Regardless of the fact that there have been attempts to align psychoanalysis with
academic psychology, it is understood that the field of psychoanalysis is highly complex and is
not an exacting science, where empirical data can be derived from objective quantitative studies.
The chaotic and unique aspects of each individual as well as the subjective interpretations
offered by each Psychoanalyst, inherently creates circumstances where there can virtually be no
alignment within the psychoanalytic profession. Consequently, and though the hypothesis of this
paper was supported by the information examined within the seven articles, the ambiguity and
inconsistency as found within the results of psychoanalytical examination of the unconscious
mind is not suggested as being undesirable. Whereas, the desire to acquire multiple

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interpretations may prove to be more useful to clients than the results acquired through a singular
assessment or through unfaltering mathematical pattern recognition.

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References
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Psychoanalysis, 16, 103-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08037060701300083
Klüners, M. (2014, July). Freud as a philosopher of history. The Journal of Psychohistory, 42(1),
55-71.
Newirth, J. (2015, April). Psychoanalysis' past, present, and future: Sherlock Holmes, Sir
Lancelot, and the Wizard of Oz. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 32(2), 307-320.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035251
Perera, S. B. (2013, May). Circling, dreaming, aging. Psychological Perspectives, 56, 137–148.
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Schut, A. J., & Castonguay, L. G. (2001). Reviving Freud's vision of a psychoanalytic science:
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Summers, F. (2006). Freud's relevance for contemporary psychoanalytic technique.
Psychoanalytic Psychology, 23(2), 327–338. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0736-
9735.23.2.327