Sigmund Freud was the founder of the psychoanalytic theory. His work had a profound influence on psychology, sociology, anthropology, literature, and even art. 
When Freud formed his personality development theory, he relied heavily upon the observations and case studies of his patients.

Sigmund Freud

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Freud believed that behaviour and personality came from the interaction of conflicting psychological forces that works at three levels of awareness:
<ul>
<li>Preconscious. It consists of anything that could potentially be brought into the conscious mind.</li>
<li>Conscious mind. It contains all the thoughts, memories, feelings, and wishes we are aware of at any given moment.</li>
<li>Unconscious mind. It is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that we are not consciously aware of. In includes unacceptable or unpleasant feelings, such as pain, anxiety, or conflict.</li>
</ul>

Freud's three levels of mind

The conscious and unconscious minds can be understood by what is known as a slip of the tongue.
Misstatements are believed to reveal underlying, unconscious thoughts or feelings. For example, a man who accidentally uses a former girlfriend&#39;s name when referring to a current girlfriend.

The freudian slip

According to Freud, thoughts and emotions outside of our awareness continue to influence our behaviour, even if we are unaware of it. The unconscious can include repressed feelings, hidden memories, habits, thoughts, desires, and reactions.
Freud used dream analysis and free association techniques to attempt to identify the roots of psychological distress.

Accessing unconscious thoughts

Preconscious memories are unrepressed memories that we extract for a specific purpose.
The preconscious mind contains all the things that you could potentially pull into conscious awareness. The preconscious is also controlling the information that is allowed to enter into conscious awareness.

Role of the preconscious mind

The famed psychoanalyst <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/sigmund-freud-his-life-work-and-theories-2795860" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Sigmund Freud</a> believed that behavior and personality were derived from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness:&nbsp;the preconscious, <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-conscious-mind-2794984" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="2" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">conscious</a>, and <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-unconscious-2796004" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="3" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">unconscious</a>.1﻿&nbsp;He believed that each of these parts of the mind plays an important role in influencing behavior.

In order to understand Freud's theory, it is essential to first understand what he believed each part of personality did, how it operated, and how these three elements interact to contribute to the human experience. Each level of awareness has a role to play in shaping human behavior and thought.
<figure><img src="https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/2UD85C5iM7mzUEXTOfEbCtKQ15E=/6000x4000/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/2795946-the-conscious-and-unconscious-mind-5b180a1c303713003637fa48.png" alt="Freud's Three Levels of Mind"><figcaption dir="auto">Verywell / Joshua Seong</figcaption></figure><h2 dir="ltr"> About Sigmund Freud </h2>
Sigmund Freud&nbsp;was the founder of psychoanalytic theory. While his ideas were considered shocking at the time and create debate and controversy even now, his work had a profound influence on a number of disciplines, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-4014660" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">psychology</a>, sociology, anthropology, literature, and even art.

The term&nbsp;psychoanalysis&nbsp;is used to refer to many aspects of Freud’s work and research, including Freudian therapy and the research methodology he used to develop his theories. Freud relied heavily upon his observations and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-write-a-psychology-case-study-2795722" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">case studies</a>&nbsp;of his patients when he formed his theory of personality development.
<h2 dir="ltr"> Freud's Three Levels of Mind </h2>
Freud delineated the mind in the distinct levels, each with their own roles and functions.1﻿
<UL><LI>The preconscious consists of anything that could potentially be brought into the conscious mind.</LI><LI>The conscious mind contains all of the thoughts, memories, feelings, and wishes of which we are aware at any given moment. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. This also includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily and brought into awareness.</LI><LI>The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. The unconscious contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict.</LI></UL>
Freud likened the three levels of mind to an iceberg. The top of the iceberg that you can see above the water represents the conscious mind. The part of the iceberg that is submerged below the water, but is still visible, is the preconscious. The bulk of the iceberg that lies unseen beneath the waterline represents the unconscious.
<h3 dir="ltr"> The Freudian Slip </h3>
One way to understand how the conscious and unconscious minds operate is to look at what is known as a slip of the tongue. Many of us have experienced what is commonly referred to as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-freudian-slip-2795851" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Freudian slip</a> at some point or another. These misstatements are believed to reveal underlying, unconscious thoughts or feelings.
Freud believed that while the unconscious mind is largely inaccessible, the contents can sometimes bubble up unexpectedly, such as in dreams or slips of the tongue.
An example of a Freudian slip is a man who accidentally uses a former girlfriend's name when referring to a current girlfriend. While most of us might believe this to be a simple error, Freud believed that the slip showed the sudden intrusion of the unconscious mind into the conscious mind, often due to unresolved or repressed feelings.
<h2 dir="ltr"> Accessing Unconscious Thoughts </h2>
According to Freud, thoughts and emotions outside of our awareness continue to exert an influence on our behaviors, even though we are unaware (unconscious) of these underlying influences.&nbsp;

The unconscious can include repressed feelings, hidden memories, habits, thoughts, desires, and reactions. Memories and emotions that are too painful, embarrassing, shameful, or distressing to consciously face are stored in the enormous reservoir that makes up the unconscious mind.
To identify the roots of a psychological distress, Freud employed techniques like <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-interpretation-of-dreams-by-sigmund-freud-2795855" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" dir="ltr">dream analysis</a> and free association (the sharing of seemingly random thoughts) to bring true feelings to light.<h2 dir="ltr"> Role of the Preconscious Mind </h2>
The contents of the conscious mind include all of the things that you are actively aware of. The closely related preconscious mind contains all of the things that you could potentially pull into conscious awareness. The preconscious also acts as something of a guard, controlling the information that is allowed to enter into conscious awareness.
Preconscious memories are not the same things as memories that are readily accessed, such as remembering your way home. They are unrepressed memories that we extract for a specific purpose at a specific time.<h2 dir="ltr"> A Word From Verywell </h2>
While many of Freud's ideas have fallen out of favor, the importance of the unconscious has become perhaps one of his most important and enduring contributions to psychology. <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-psychoanalytic-therapy-2795467" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">Psychoanalytic therapy</a>, which explores how the unconscious mind influences behaviors and thoughts, has become an important tool in the treatment of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-psychological-disorder-2795767" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="2" rel="noopener noreferrer" dir="ltr">mental illness</a> and psychological distress.2﻿

Do thoughts outside of awareness influence behavior? Learn about Freud's three levels of awareness: the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.

The famed psychoanalyst <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/sigmund-freud-his-life-work-and-theories-2795860" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sigmund Freud </a>believed that behavior and personality were derived from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness: the preconscious, <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="2" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-conscious-mind-2794984" rel="noopener noreferrer">conscious </a>, and <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="3" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-unconscious-2796004" rel="noopener noreferrer">unconscious </a>.1 ﻿ He believed that each of these parts of the mind plays an important role in influencing behavior.

In order to understand Freud's theory, it is essential to first understand what he believed each part of personality did, how it operated, and how these three elements interact to contribute to the human experience. Each level of awareness has a role to play in shaping human behavior and thought.

Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalytic theory. While his ideas were considered shocking at the time and create debate and controversy even now, his work had a profound influence on a number of disciplines, including <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-4014660" rel="noopener noreferrer">psychology </a>, sociology, anthropology, literature, and even art.

The term psychoanalysis  is used to refer to many aspects of Freud’s work and research, including Freudian therapy and the research methodology he used to develop his theories. Freud relied heavily upon his observations and <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-write-a-psychology-case-study-2795722" rel="noopener noreferrer">case studies </a> of his patients when he formed his theory of personality development.

Freud delineated the mind in the distinct levels, each with their own roles and functions.1 ﻿

<ul><li>The preconscious consists of anything that could potentially be brought into the conscious mind. </li><li>The conscious mind contains all of the thoughts, memories, feelings, and wishes of which we are aware at any given moment. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. This also includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily and brought into awareness. </li><li>The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. The unconscious contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. </li> </ul>

Freud likened the three levels of mind to an iceberg. The top of the iceberg that you can see above the water represents the conscious mind. The part of the iceberg that is submerged below the water, but is still visible, is the preconscious. The bulk of the iceberg that lies unseen beneath the waterline represents the unconscious.

One way to understand how the conscious and unconscious minds operate is to look at what is known as a slip of the tongue. Many of us have experienced what is commonly referred to as a <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-freudian-slip-2795851" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freudian slip </a>at some point or another. These misstatements are believed to reveal underlying, unconscious thoughts or feelings.

Freud believed that while the unconscious mind is largely inaccessible, the contents can sometimes bubble up unexpectedly, such as in dreams or slips of the tongue.

An example of a Freudian slip is a man who accidentally uses a former girlfriend's name when referring to a current girlfriend. While most of us might believe this to be a simple error, Freud believed that the slip showed the sudden intrusion of the unconscious mind into the conscious mind, often due to unresolved or repressed feelings.

According to Freud, thoughts and emotions outside of our awareness continue to exert an influence on our behaviors, even though we are unaware (unconscious) of these underlying influences.

The unconscious can include repressed feelings, hidden memories, habits, thoughts, desires, and reactions. Memories and emotions that are too painful, embarrassing, shameful, or distressing to consciously face are stored in the enormous reservoir that makes up the unconscious mind.

To identify the roots of a psychological distress, Freud employed techniques like <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-interpretation-of-dreams-by-sigmund-freud-2795855">dream analysis </a>and free association (the sharing of seemingly random thoughts) to bring true feelings to light.

The contents of the conscious mind include all of the things that you are actively aware of. The closely related preconscious mind contains all of the things that you could potentially pull into conscious awareness. The preconscious also acts as something of a guard, controlling the information that is allowed to enter into conscious awareness.

Preconscious memories are not the same things as memories that are readily accessed, such as remembering your way home. They are unrepressed memories that we extract for a specific purpose at a specific time.

While many of Freud's ideas have fallen out of favor, the importance of the unconscious has become perhaps one of his most important and enduring contributions to psychology. <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-psychoanalytic-therapy-2795467" rel="noopener noreferrer">Psychoanalytic therapy </a>, which explores how the unconscious mind influences behaviors and thoughts, has become an important tool in the treatment of <a data-component="link" data-ordinal="2" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" dir="ltr" href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-psychological-disorder-2795767" rel="noopener noreferrer">mental illness </a>and psychological distress.2 ﻿

Sigmund Freud

The Structure and Levels of the Mind According to Freud

Freud's three levels of mind

The freudian slip

Accessing unconscious thoughts

Role of the preconscious mind

How Does Repression Work in Our Unconscious Mind?

Repression as a Defense Mechanism

What Personality Theories in Psychology May Tell You About Yours