Norman O'Brown: Life Against Death

This is Sarah. I that chapter one of Norman O'Brown's Life Against Death was truly fascinating. O'Brown provided an in dept analysis of Freud's theories on psychoanalysis, repression, the unconcious, and the conflict of distinguishing what is "healthy" and what is "neurotic".
According to Freud, psycholoanalysis can be defined as "nothing more than the discovery of the unconscious in mental life." (4) However, it is also suggested that some unconscious ideas have ability to enter the conscious mind. This in turn creates a tremendous conflict between the unconscious and the conscious. According to Brown, "psychoanalysis is from top to bottom a science of mental conflict". (4) In root of this conflict seems to stem the idea of repression. My understanding leads me to believe that the repressive thoughts are what one would store in their unconscious. These thoughts can then be released into their conscious if the person chooses to allow themselves to indulge in their desires. Freud's theories on repression make sense to me and I think that they can be applied to everyday life.
It has been said that one's pleasures and desires are often depicted and their dreams. Personally, I do not remember any of my dreams, so I cannot say whether this is correct or not. Freud would probably suggest that the person is living out their unconscious desires in their sleep. According to Freud, the essence of a man consists not in thinking, but in desiring. (7)
Norman O'Brown then tries to explain the difference between "neurotic" and "healthy". He reached the conclusion that the "healthy" have a more socially form of neurosis. (6) I took this as the difference between neurotic and calm or sane. When someone is neurotic they are anal and solely focused on one thing.
Norman O'Brown concludes with Freud's feelings on neurosis. He states, "Neurosis is an essential consequence of civilization or culture. Here again is a harsh lesson in humility, which tender-minded critics of Freud suppress." (10) This quotes summarizes the essential ideas of repression and Freud's theory. This reading was very helpful and I feel as though I understand Freud's theories much better.