Understanding Primary Process: Freud's Unconscious Mental Activity

Primary process is a concept developed by Sigmund Freud that deals with unconscious mental activity. Freud stated that all behavior has the same motivation: the desire to experience pleasure.

Unconscious Activity

• Primary process is a mental process that is done unconsciously. It includes unorganized and illogical thinking patterns, but all with one goal: to experience immediate pleasure and gratification.

Illogical Thinking

• One characteristic of primary process is that the thinking is very illogical. It is done unconsciously and doesn't take any environmental factors or other conditions into consideration.

Libido

• Freud summarized that an energy that causes humans to desire immediate pleasure is called libido. Primary process is the dreamlike state of libido, where thoughts in a human brain can be very irrational.

Example

• Babies are a perfect way to summarize primary process. They are concerned with only their immediate needs. They cry to fulfill the need they are experiencing at the particular moment.