Trauma, the Psychoanalytic Origins

The article explores the evolution of the concept of trauma, particularly its psychological implications, through the works of its historical context of the late 19th century. The article follows the modern understanding of trauma, the medical debates, the neurological causes, and physical and psychological responses to trauma. Freud believed that trauma memories are primarily auditory rather than visual, and he established psychoanalysis as a discipline centered on listening, contrasting with Charcot‘s visual approach to hysteria. This shift transformed the understanding of the psyche from a visual spectacle to an auditory discourse. The late 19th century saw the emergence of psychology and psychoanalysis as distinct disciplines focused on understanding and healing the psyche. Freud‘s work diverged from Charcot‘s biological determinism, emphasizing the importance of recalling trauma for healing. The female body became a spectacle, sexualized and objectified in Charcot‘s presentations. Charcot‘s photographic catalogues documented hysterical patients, merging beauty and suffering. Freud established two criteria for trauma: content relevance and sufficient traumatic force. Freud‘s lectures at Clark University in 1909 emphasized the relationship between trauma, memory, and symptom manifestation, connecting the trauma with repetition, symptom relief requires and emotional re-experiencing of the original trauma. Psychoanalysis emerged as a discourse about the feminine, emphasizing the importance of listening to women‘s experiences. Freud‘s introduction of the couch in his practice symbolized a new approach to therapy and the dynamics of patient-analyst relationships. The couch became an iconic symbol of psychoanalysis, representing the intimate space where patients could explore their past. The historical dialogue between these figures continues to influence contemporary trauma studies’ approaches.