Psychoanalysis in the light of metaphor and metonymy : An analysis of Freud's theory of primary process thinking and interpretation work from the perspective of Conceptual metaphor theory.

The aim of this dissertation is to examine how Conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), with its detailed conceptual framework for various metaphorical and metonymic thought processes, can clarify and deepen psychoanalysis, specifically Freud's theory of the primary process thinking as a central element in his theory of the unconscious, as well as his interpretive work in the case study, Analysis of a phobia in a five-year-old boy (Little Hans). In a broader perspective, my dissertation also has educational relevance as a contribution to the theoretical discussions of meaning and meaning-making. Psychoanalysis is a comprehensive theory of the human being that specifically investigates meaning, symbolization, and representations in our unconscious. Metaphorical and metonymic thought processes are central but have not previously been highlighted in a nuanced or systematic manner in the psychoanalytic tradition and there is little written about metonymic thought processes and the combination of metaphor and metonymy in the litterature. In the 1980s, Lakoff and Johnson developed the so-called "Conceptual Metaphor Theory," also known as "Cognitive linguistics, (CL) " within which CMT is encompassed. They argue that metaphors and metonymies, whether verbal or non-verbal, are based on active thought processes grounded in our bodily experiences, body-based perceptions, experiences, and culture. The analysis of Freud's primary process and interpretive work based on CMT has been conducted through an interpretive hermeneutic approach, which specifically involves a close reading of Freud's texts relevant to the dissertation's purpose, in line with psychoanalysis as an interpretive science. The results show that CMT, as an analytical tool, can be applied to both primary process thinking and Freud's interpretive work. Both theories are compatible when viewed as human sciences. The theories are partly different, but what they have in common is that they consider our thinking and language to be grounded in our bodies and body-based experiences. They are both concerned with meaning and meaning-making, and they posit that there is no reality independent of the subject. Regarding the analysis of Freud's interpretive work, the results show that his interpretations in the case study "Little Hans" are illuminated and clarified in terms of various metaphorical and metonymic thought processes. Freud's theory of the primary process thinking is also nuanced and clarified in the dissertation. Primary process manifests itself in dreams and symptoms but also in other phenomena such as fairy tales, myths, customs, and more. It is composed of the mechanisms that Freud calls "condensation," "displacement," "consideration of representability," and "symbols." In the dissertation's investigation, I have shown how these primary-process mechanisms are related to various metaphorical and metonymic thought processes using the detailed conceptual framework developed within the framework of CMT. The dissertation concludes, among other things, with a discussion of the findings in relation to how metaphor and metonymy have been viewed within the psychoanalytic tradition. CMT, as an analytical tool, has been referred to but has not been extensively used before. Similarly, a nuanced and detailed analysis of Freud's theory of the primary process and his interpretive work in the case study "Little Hans" from a CMT perspective has not previously been conducted