Was Sigmund Freud a genius?
No, not a genius at all. Quite the opposite. None of Freud’s theories has ever passed a scientific trial: in truth, they cannot be scientifically tested. Not that this fact has ever stopped his followers from making demands for psychoanalysis to be considered a scientific discipline. Freud developed an elaborate, baroque theory of mind that may be vaguely useful for academic exercises in conceptualisations. It may be a tangential approach to use in disciplines such as film studies and literary criticism. However, when it comes to the alleviation of mental distress, Freud and psychoanalysis have never cured anybody of anything. But psychoanalysis is a lucrative profession and where there is that much money at stake, truth and false take second place. Freud was good at self promotion and PR, but he was no scientist and he was no healer. In fact, there is plenty of evidence to show that he twisted the relationships (I don’t think it should be call treatment) with his patients until they f
