Profile of the Day: Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

Seventy-five years ago today, famed neurologist Sigmund Freud died at the age of 83 from a lethal dose of morphine. Known as the father of psychoanalysis, Freud’s radical and controversial theories about the mind transformed the field of psychology.

Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Austria. At the age of four, his family moved to Vienna, where he would live and work for the remainder of his life. In 1881, he earned a medical degree from the University of Vienna. Freud’s fellowship with Jean-Martin Charcot, a renowned neurologist who was conducting scientific research into hypnosis, was the catalyst in turning him toward the practice of medical psychopathology and away from a career in neurology research.

Considered one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, Freud’s theories regarding the unconscious mind and mechanisms of repression continue to influence the field today. Even many words and phrases popularized by Freud have become ingrained in popular culture and is used in everyday language.

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