Förträngning

Förträngning is a defense mechanism described in psychoanalytic theory, most notably by Sigmund Freud. It refers to the unconscious process of withholding unacceptable thoughts, memories, desires, or feelings from conscious awareness. These repressed elements, while no longer directly accessible, are believed to continue to exert an influence on a person's behavior, emotions, and mental state. Freud posited that repressed material does not simply disappear but instead seeks expression in indirect ways, such as through dreams, slips of the tongue (Freudian slips), neurotic symptoms, or symbolic actions.

The process of förträngning is considered automatic and not a conscious decision. It serves to protect the ego from anxiety and distress that would arise from confronting these unpleasant or socially unacceptable impulses. However, the energy invested in maintaining repression can lead to psychological tension and the development of various psychological difficulties. Psychoanalytic therapy aims to bring repressed material back into conscious awareness, allowing for its processing and integration, thereby alleviating psychological distress. While a core concept in classical psychoanalysis, the idea of förträngning has also been debated and modified by later psychodynamic theorists and is not universally accepted in all schools of psychology.