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February 27, 20260 citationsOpen Access

Psychoanalysis as a Danger: Turning the Unconscious into a Monster Instead of a Source of Life

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VAVictoria Akopova

Key Points

  • The aim is to explore D. H. Lawrence's critique of Freud's psychoanalysis, particularly regarding the unconscious.
  • Critically analyze D. H. Lawrence’s arguments against Freudian theory.
  • Examine Lawrence’s vitalist perspective on the unconscious as a creative force.
  • Contrast Lawrence's views with Freud's concepts of repression and sexuality.
  • Lawrence argues that Freud's model portrays the unconscious as a source of horror.
  • Lawrence presents a vitalist approach that sees the unconscious as a wellspring of life.
  • The essay concludes that Freud's model remains a practical tool for psychological healing.

Abstract

This essay critically examines D. H. Lawrence’s attack on Freudian psychoanalysis in Psychoanalysis and the Unconscious, focusing on his claim that Freud turns the unconscious into a source of horror rather than vitality. It analyzes Lawrence’s vitalist alternative, in which the unconscious is seen as a creative wellspring of life, and contrasts it with Freud’s theory of repression and sexuality. The essay concludes with a personal position that defends Freud’s model as a practical and liberating path toward psychological healing.

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Cite This Study

Victoria Akopova (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a1355fed1d949a99abf2a2https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18770771
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