Norman O. Brown’s Life Against Death gives credibility to Freudian Analysis. This book examines Freud's different theories and principles, while the central issue comes down to one thing, repression. And whether its sexual, excremental, power or various levels of blocked emotional energies, the theories are very valuable in understanding others and ourselves.
This repression is based on sublimated infant erotic pleasures that transforms into a reality principle and sometimes the death instinct. The fact is, we all came from the womb; all had consciousness of narcissistic selfhood, sought pleasure, and had to deal with reality. We all had a mother, who became our entire world, our need for pleasure verses pain and desire to possess. And, we all had to deal with separation aspects as major threats to our consciousness. So much of psychoanalysis rings of truth. But, through this book is hard to understand. It took me rereading chapters again and again to finally comprehend what Brown was trying to say.
It is fascinating how the death instinct is the desire to return to the womb, the inability to come to terms with the individuality of life. It programmed in us to get back to childhood, to play. That point was especially relatable to me because, as a theatre major, we are constantly trying to get back to that point of life, as a child, where everything was done on an impulse. To explore, to follow your impulses, and to play. Unfortunately, we cannot survive that way, which is why we adapted. To live in such an irrational Dionysian way would surely lead to our downfall. This is why we live in a world of logical and rational work, and ignore the childlike ability to live in the present moment and ignore all history and guilt.
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