Über Psychoanalyse: Fünf Vorlesungen

In these landmark lectures, Freud offers a concise yet vivid portrait of how psychoanalysis emerged from early experiments with hysteria and the “talking cure.” He begins with the remarkable case of a gifted young woman treated by his mentor, Dr. Breuer, whose bewildering symptoms—from paralysis to speech loss—illustrate the power of uncovering hidden emotional trauma. Listeners are guided through the shift from hypnotic techniques to free association, learning how resistance and repression shape the mind’s hidden conflicts.

The series then moves beyond the clinic, exploring the mechanics of dream interpretation, the role of infantile sexuality, and the ways fantasies surface in art and everyday life. Throughout, Freud’s clear explanations reveal how symbols, fixations, and transference become tools for therapeutic insight. By the end of the first act, the audience gains a solid foundation in the core ideas that would transform psychology, setting the stage for deeper investigations into the unconscious.