Return of the Repressed

Freud's theory was that after a traumatic event the brain would represse elements of it down in the memory. this was a flawed defence mechanism which would backfire. As freud beleived that these repressed memorys were able to then adversely affect the actions and desires in future thoughts with out the person realising. These feelings would come about in a secondary form which the person wouldnt realise it happening, such as if i a child was beatern as a kid. They would then stand a likely chance to become a bully or a aggressive adult, which could lead to them beating their own children. The conscious thought wont link the repressed thoughts with the actions at the time. However it is thought that these subconcious thoughts are what drive the actions in future life. This theory hasnt been rigorously provern by scientific proof, but it is taught i basic psychology still in education and is seen to be a strong theory.

How frueds theory fits in with the horror genre and movies. Alot of villians with in the horror genre do the killings due to a repressed memory shown or said in the dialogue during the movie. some examples of this are the movie Eden lake. the main monster in this movie (bret) has evidence of coming from a aggressive difuntional family. this is shown when the father returns home. There are holes in the wall from where something or someone has hit them, he also returns home shouting for bret in a aggressive manor and there seems to be alot of alchole bottles around the house representing that the aggressive farther could drink alot and be drunk alot of the time. these moments of aggression in the house hold my become repressed by bret in his mind but yet still affect his actions and thoughts, which lead him to commit the violent acts he does in the movie. Another movie this is present in is the film Haloween. little mike witnesses his sister having a sexual relationship with a guy before he kills her. When mike escapes and begins killing, all the kids he kills are in sexually active relationships. This could be a use of return of the repressed as subconsciously he doesnt realise the link or connection that all the victims have, but they are the result of repressed emotions.