Loading... Please wait...Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was an Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis, a groundbreaking approach to understanding the human mind and treating mental disorders. He proposed that much of human behavior is influenced by unconscious thoughts, memories, and desires. Freud introduced influential concepts such as the id, ego, and superego, which describe different aspects of personality, and explained how defense mechanisms help people cope with anxiety and internal conflict. He also emphasized the importance of dreams and early childhood experiences in shaping personality. While many of his theories have been criticized or revised by modern psychological research, Freud's ideas had a lasting impact on psychology, psychiatry, literature, philosophy, and the arts, making him one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.