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Topology is ab ranch of mathematics that studies properties of space (Wolfram Research,

Inc., n.d.). However according to Freud, topology introduces the concept that mental apparatus is

made up of different areas and territories in the mind that are governed by different processes

serving different purposes. In other words, according to Freud topography is the mapping of the

space of the mind. The concept of a mental topography was present in Freud's work as early as

the "Project for a Scientific Psychology" of 1895 (Northoff & Scalabrini, 2021).

Freud's initial topography model, also known as Topography of the Mind, divided the

mind into systems that are conscious, unconscious, and pre unconscious. According to Freud, the

conscious mind is aware of current perceptions, memories, thoughts, and feelings (Sibi, 2020). It

represents your immediate awareness and includes your rational and logical thought processes. It

exists as the tip of the iceberg. A preconscious mind exists under this conscious mind and stores

available memory that can be easily brought into consciousness (Sibi, 2020). It serves as a sort of

mental storage or bridge between the conscious and unconscious minds. The unconscious mind,

on the other hand, contains thoughts, memories, desires, and feelings that are not visible to the

conscious mind. These hidden elements can influence our behavior and emotions without our

conscious knowledge. However, the initial spatial organization of the mind, known as the first

topography, later proved insufficient for dealing with the clinical view of pathological

narcissism.

The second topology, also known as the Structural Model of the Mind, is a more complex

model of the mind that includes three key components: Id, ego, and superego. The ego's purpose

is to satisfy the id's demands in a very safe and socially acceptable manner. The ego exists in

both the conscious and unconscious mind. It is also referred to as the reality principal. Our

primal instincts and desires are represented by the id. It operates on the pleasure principle,
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pursuing immediate gratification of needs and desires regardless of social norms or consequences

(Freud, 1940). The id is completely unconscious. The superego represents our internalized moral

and ethical standards, which are frequently influenced by society and parental figures (Freud,

1940). It functions as a conscience, weighing the ego's decisions and actions against these

standards. The superego operates on an unconscious level as well. The second topography did

not replace the first. Instead, it maintained a dialectical relationship with it, complicating the

model as a whole.

In summary, Freud developed these two key topographical models in psychoanalytic

theory to describe the structure and functioning of the human mind.

References:

Freud, S. (1940). An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis,

21, 27-84

Northoff, G., & Scalabrini, A. (2021). “Project for a spatiotemporal neuroscience”–brain and

psyche share their topography and dynamic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 717402

Sibi J.K Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalytic Theory In an International Peer Reviewed Open

Access Journal, Special Issue 75, May 2020

Wolfram Research, Inc. (n.d.). Topology -- from Wolfram MathWorld.

https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Topology.html
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