Surreal Secrets of the Psyche

What were the artistic effects of psychoanalysis on the culture in which it emerged?

Welcome to this exciting evening, in which we use the historical rearview mirror to understand the very processes that created a fertile interplay between the insight-oriented work of psychoanalysis and broader culture. Psychoanalyst Dr. Vanessa Sinclair and author Carl Abrahamsson will explore the Zeitgeist in which psychoanalysis, the avant-garde, and film emerged.

The gradual visibility of psychoanalysis affected creative practices, mainly in the early dada and surrealist circles, as artists cut through rational defense systems by utilizing random chance, collage, cut-up poetry, and film work, among other techniques. The spread of psychoanalysis generated an awareness that there is more to the unconscious mind than meets the rational, conscious eye/I. Using her well-renowned study Scansion in Psychoanalysis and Art as foundation, Dr. Sinclair will contextualize the groundbreaking relationship between clinical and creative fields in the early 20th century, specifically looking at the emergence and expansion of experimental film.

As an example, Abrahamsson will present a talk about a cinematic gem from the era: Secrets of a Soul (Geheimnisse einer Seele) Released in 1926 and directed by G. W. Pabst, the film stands as one of the earliest attempts to translate the principles of psychoanalysis into cinematic form. Created during a period in which Sigmund Freud’s theories were rapidly gaining public and intellectual traction, the film functions both as psychological drama and as an educational exploration of the unconscious mind. Its production context and narrative structure mirror the cultural fascination with dream symbolism, repression, and the emerging concept of psychotherapy as a modern science of the self.

Along with the avant-garde interest in surrealism and dream imagery, the film serves as an example of how early cinema became a laboratory for visualizing the invisible life of the mind. By staging therapy as both a narrative and a cinematic process of revelation, Pabst’s film captures the optimism of the psychoanalytic moment: the belief that by deciphering one’s inner “secrets,” healing and self-knowledge could be achieved.

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Speakers:

Carl Abrahamsson is a Swedish author and filmmaker. His books include Codex Nordica (2022), Different People (2021), The Devil’s Footprint (2020), and Mother, Have a Safe Trip (2013). His films include the An Art Apart documentary series, focusing on the creative process of radical artists. https://linktr.ee/CarlAbrahamsson

Dr. Vanessa Sinclair is a psychoanalyst and author based in Sweden, who works in private practice online internationally. She is the host of the Gradiva-award winning podcast, Rendering Unconscious, and director of RU Center for Psychoanalysis. Her books include The Queerness of Psychoanalysis (2025), Psychoanalytic Perspectives on the Films of Ingmar Bergman (2023), and Scansion in Psychoanalysis and Art (2021). https://linktr.ee/renderingunconscious

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Tickets: £25

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A limited number of £10 bursary tickets are available for those under financial hardship. Please email [email protected] to apply for a bursary.

The purpose of this event is to raise funds for the Freud Museum London, which receives no regular Government income. We are grateful to you for supporting our independent museum as generously as possible.

The event will be held on the first floor of the Museum during regular opening hours. Unfortunately the Freud Museum does not have step-free access at this time. Advance booking is highly recommended as capacity is limited.

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