Neural Imaging to See the Mind's Unconscious Urges

Unconscious Desires

It is possible to apply scientific methods to the study of unconscious desires and urges, as postulated by Freud’s theory of personality. In recent years, there have been multiple attempts to use cognitive science approaches, such as statistical modeling of behavior, functional neuroimaging, and machine learning algorithms, to better understand the underlying psychological processes related to unconscious desires and urges. These approaches have yielded promising results in terms of increasing our understanding of the unconscious mind (Weiten et al., 2018). Granted, not all psychologists and theorists believe in the existence of unconscious desires: Adler, for instance, rejected Freud’s notion that personality was shaped by unconscious desires and rather postulated that people can and do know what drives them and act accordingly. Really, applying the scientific method to the study of unconscious desires depends upon the ability to verify that these desires and urges exist, how they manifest themselves, and so on. This can be done through both qualitative and quantitative research (exploratory and experimental research).

One example is the use of functional imaging to explore brain regions associated with unconscious desires and urges. By measuring the activation of different areas of the brain while people perform tasks relevant to Freud's theory, researchers can gain a better understanding of how these unconscious processes are represented in the brain (Weiten et al., 2018). Additionally, statistical models can be used to predict behavior or measure the impact of certain psychodynamic processes on personality, providing insight into how these unconscious forces manifest themselves in behavior. Or, machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze large datasets and uncover patterns related to unconscious desires and urges, helping researchers to draw more meaningful conclusions about the role of the unconscious in personality. Qualitatively, research on Freud's theory of personality has focused on understanding the hidden symbolism in dreams and fantasies, and how such symbolism can be interpreted to gain insight into unconscious desires.

One caveat must be made, however: empirically speaking, the evidence obtained through quantitative research is open for interpretation, depending on the theoretical lens one wants to apply. The data shows what is going on in the mind—but depending on which perspective one adopts, Freud’s or Adler’s, one will have a different interpretation of the so-called unconscious desires/urges. The data does not really indicate the extent to which these urges are “hidden” from the individual. That is still very much a topic of debate in the field of psychology. One reason cognitive behavioral therapy has emerged as a treatment approach is because it bypasses the debate and focuses solely on getting results by changing patterns of thinking and acting. Therefore, ultimately, while the scientific approach can be applied to the study of unconscious desires, the interpretation of the data is still subject to a theoretical framework that can be applied to draw very different conclusions.