Part II    Psychodynamic Theories30
fei75766_ch02_019-071.indd 30  02/19/20 08:59 AMofanxiety, which would activate thefinalcensor torepress these anxiety-loaded 
images, forcing them back intotheunconscious. Other images from theuncon -
scious dogainadmission toconsciousness, butonlybecause their truenature is
cleverly disguised through thedream process, aslipofthetongue, oranelaborate 
defensive measure.
Conscious
Consciousness, which plays arelatively minor roleinpsychoanalytic theory, canbe
defined asthose mental elements inawareness atanygiven point intime. Itisthe
onlylevelofmental lifedirectly available tous.Ideas canreach consciousness from 
twodifferent directions. Thefirstisfrom aperceptual conscious system, which is
turned toward theouter world andactsasamedium fortheperception ofexternal 
stimuli. Inother words, what weperceive through oursense organs, ifnottoothreat -
ening, enters intoconsciousness (Freud, 1933/1964).
Thesecond source ofconscious elements isfrom within themental structure 
andincludes nonthreatening ideas from thepreconscious aswellasmenacing but
well-disguised images from theunconscious. Aswehaveseen, these latter images 
escaped intothepreconscious bycloaking themselves asharmless elements andevad-
ingtheprimary censor. Once inthepreconscious, theyavoid afinalcensor andcome 
under theeyeofconsciousness. Bythetimetheyreach theconscious system, these 
images aregreatly distorted andcamouflaged, often taking theform ofdefensive 
behaviors ordream elements.
Insummary, Freud (1917/1963, pp.295–296) compared theunconscious 
toalarge entrance hallinwhich many diverse, energetic, anddisreputable people 
aremilling about, crowding oneanother, andstriving incessantly toescape toa
smaller adjoining reception room. However, awatchful guard protects thethresh -
oldbetween alarge entrance hallandasmall reception room. Thisguard hastwo
methods ofpreventing undesirables from escaping from theentrance hall—either 
turnthem back atthedoor orthrow outthose people whoearlier hadclandestinely 
slipped intothereception room. Theeffect ineither caseisthesame; themenac -
ing,disorderly people areprevented from coming intoviewofanimportant guest 
whoisseated atthefarendofthereception room behind ascreen. Themeaning 
oftheanalogy isobvious. Thepeople intheentrance hallrepresent unconscious 
images. Thesmall reception room isthepreconscious anditsinhabitants represent 
preconscious ideas. People inthereception room (preconscious) mayormaynot
come intoviewoftheimportant guest who, ofcourse, represents theeyeofcon-
sciousness. Thedoorkeeper whoguards thethreshold between thetworooms is
theprimary censor thatprevents unconscious images from becoming preconscious 
andrenders preconscious images unconscious bythrowing them back. Thescreen 
thatguards theimportant guest isthefinalcensor, anditprevents many, butnot
all,preconscious elements from reaching consciousness. Theanalogy ispresented 
graphically inFigure 2.1.Final PDF to printer