What exactly is a Freudian Slip? A person is having a lively conversation with a friend, someone they know, and suddenly, during the conversation, they make a mistake that isn't intentional. At a certain point, they realize they have a sudden lapse in memory that affects the very topic of the conversation.
Why does this happen? We can say that in some specific cases, it's certainly simply a matter of forgetfulness occurring in the mind at that specific moment.
In other cases, however, it's not forgetfulness but a genuine error mechanism triggered at an unconscious level. Why does such a mechanism arise in a person's mind?
This unconscious repression mechanism could be the result of a conflict between the conscious, aware part of our mind and unconscious mechanisms, including feelings of dread or fear. In psychoanalysis, slips of the tongue are considered indirect ways in which the unconscious manifests itself.
According to what Freud said in his time, slips or errors that gain strength and manifest themselves through unconscious mechanisms are only apparently errors that we tend to classify as simple coincidences.
The basis of the slip of the tongue identified by Freud is not simply a desire buried in our unconscious that tends to emerge in the form of an error; rather, it is a sort of outlet or channel through which a desire that is inherently unconscious tends to emerge and resurface.
This error is actually a tool through which certain desires that would otherwise remain completely unexpressed tend to resurface.
Of course, when we speak of a slip of the tongue, we mean an error, or rather, an unconscious desire that tends to resurface and can manifest itself in completely different ways.
It could be a linguistic slip, a slip related to writing and reading, or a slip of the tongue that affects our memory. At this point, it's best to analyze them one at a time and delve deeper into them to better understand their structure and what exactly we're experiencing when we happen to have a slip of the tongue, but we don't fully grasp their structure.
Have you ever been engaged in a lively and intense conversation with someone you know—a colleague, a friend, or someone close to you—and at a certain point you make a mistake during the verbal exchange? Essentially, what happens is that while you're speaking, you insert a term completely different from the one you intended to use to express a particular thought.
What exactly happens at that moment? What triggers a person's mind? What are the reasons that lead a person to use and pronounce terminology different from what they intended? In other words, say one word instead of another?
When we make a linguistic slip, our mind is unconsciously formulating judgments on a specific issue. However, at a conscious level, this judgment or expression of our specific point of view is not repressed.
It's something that undoubtedly triggers a negative phase of turmoil in our soul. This phase is accompanied by specific sensations that we'll explore together:
It could be a fear that's subconsciously present in our soul;
It could be a specific event that triggers widespread turmoil in our soul;
It could be a memory linked to an event that has already happened that wasn't at all pleasant;
It could be a desire that remains hidden in our soul and tends to resurface in the form of a slip of the tongue;
It could also be an identification mechanism in which we have a certain person in mind who is actually someone else.
Sometimes a person who is reading a certain sentence might make a mistake or slip of the tongue. This can also happen when someone is writing a certain sentence or phrase. Just as a linguistic slip can occur while speaking, a written slip follows the same dynamics. In this case, too, a slip of the tongue could arise for various reasons, which we'll explore below:
It could be a fear rooted in our soul at a subconscious level, of which we're unaware;
It could be a concrete, real situation we've experienced in the past that was unpleasant for us;
It could be a drive, a desire we've long nurtured within us that resurfaces as a slip of the tongue while reading;
Similar to a slip of the tongue when we're having a conversation with a specific person, it could once again be an unconscious exchange that occurs between a specific person we have in mind and someone else.
However, beyond everything else, again based on Freud's theories, slips of the tongue that affect a person while reading can have a similar interpretation to verbal slips. Furthermore, it's important to emphasize that they are quite common, beyond what we might think.
We may also encounter slips of the tongue that concern our specific memory. Think for a moment about a moment when we're unclear, perhaps feeling confused or overwhelmed by a feeling of disorientation. Even in this case, we shouldn't underestimate the slip of the tongue our mind is having; in fact, if such a mechanism is triggered, there's always a very specific reason.
A moment we can't remember and don't understand why could simply be an expression we know isn't appropriate at that moment or is annoying to the person we're having a conversation with. In fact, the phrase itself could trigger thoughts in them that would make them feel embarrassed or, in any case, unpleasant.
In this sense, it's possible to do something and immediately realize that we're dealing with a Freudian slip. If we manage to distance ourselves from our interlocutor with some excuse, we could find ourselves in a situation where that repressed memory resurfaces completely calmly.
Freudian slips are not merely mistakes but indicators of unconscious conflict. Recognizing them allows us to explore deeper mental dynamics.
To explore related psychological dynamics, read our article on confabulation and memory distortion.
More information can be found on the Wikipedia page on Freudian slips.
It is an unintended error in speech, writing or memory that reveals unconscious thoughts or feelings.
No. According to Freud, they emerge from unresolved unconscious conflicts rather than random mistakes.
They can occur in speech, reading, writing, or memory-related contexts, each with symbolic meaning.
Therapists may analyze slips to uncover repressed content and conflicts in the patient's unconscious.
Yes. In some cases, slips reveal hidden traces of trauma. See also the PTSD FAQ section.
Not always. They are often spontaneous and reflect emotional tension or internal conflict.
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