Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and is credited as the father of psychoanalysis, a clinical method that uses “talk therapy” to diagnose and treat psychological symptoms. In between running a private practice specializing in nervous and brain disorders, and raising six children, Freud developed a theory stating that humans have an unconscious desire to act on sexual and aggressive impulses. After becoming a Professor of Neuropathology at the University of Vienna, Freud began to gain popularity as he founded the International Psychoanalytic Association with fellow psychologist, Carl Jung. Jung later left the association and developed his own theories, leaving Freud alone as he applied his theories to history, art and literature. During World War II, Freud’s most acclaimed texts The Ego and the Id and The Interpretation of Dreams were burnt, encouraging Sigmund and his family to leave Austria. They escaped to London, where Freud later passed away due to jaw cancer, ultimately leaving his legacy within the city.
The Freud Museum
20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SX
While the volunteers of the Freud home do not encourage photographing Freud’s study , they do encourage visitors to purchase the “Face Time with Freud” package. For only £12, this package gives patrons the opportunity to meet the ghost of Sigmund Freud. Once you purchase the package from the gift shop, the man behind the counter will provide you with your own escort and lead you into Freud’s study.
The package allows for visitors to take a seat on Freud’s famous couch, a rare opportunity that is not available to all who come through the museums doors. Your escort will carefully help you over the barricade, a knee-high, draped rope that blocks other patrons from disturbing your time with Sigmund. Once you are over the blockade, your escort will join you, giving you a mini tour of Freud’s desk, lined with African figurines. The package requests that you admire them, for they were one of Sigmund’s most prized possessions. After paying respect to Freud’s figures, the tour guides will provide you with a key before leaving the barricaded room and posting themselves at the doorframe to allow for some privacy between you and the psychologist. Confidentiality, after all, was important to Freud. Just look at all the case studies he published.
The key unlocks the top left drawer of Sigmund’s desk. Upon opening it, the “Face Time with Freud” package holders will be able to choose from a variety of cigars. Go ahead and pick one for yourself, the price is included in the package. A lighter can be found in this drawer as well, but please, leave it for future visitors after using it.
Once you have your cigar, go ahead and light it. Lock the drawer and get comfortable on Sigmund’s couch. Lounge across the furniture, kick your feet up and nurse that cigar. Freud’s ghost should appear within the next fifteen minutes.
However, if the big man himself does not make a guest appearance within a reasonable amount of time, do not be afraid to peel back the paisley blanket that lines the couch and take a nap. Rumor has it that if you conjure a dream, Freud will spend more time with you, analyzing your subconscious thoughts. But be careful! Falling asleep with a lit cigar may cause some damage to the home. Burns can still be found in the fabric of the couch.
After spending your time with Sigmund’s ghost, snap your fingers twice to signal to the volunteer that your session is over. They will lead you back to the gift shop, where you’ll be provided with complementary Sigmund Freud slippers. It’s recommended you wear these as you exit the home, but be careful: Sigmund was a fan of hard wood, so walk with caution. You wouldn’t want to slip.
The Freud Bar
198 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JL
A small venue that hides beneath the conscious awareness of the city, this underground bar is the place to go for Freud Fans. Cramped, crowded, and slightly smelly, it can be quite difficult to worm your way through the crowd to order a drink. With only a few cocktail tables lining the wall across from the bar, people choose to stand, making it hard to maneuver even an inch. If you are able to make it to the bar, it is recommended to purchase a drink. With a variety of options, the most popular beverages are either the Mother Lover or the Oedipus Rex.
However, the alcohol is not the best part of the bar. After downing your drink, if funds still allow it, grab your bartender’s attention and order a “Field Day with Freud.” Don’t become wary of the dubious glance might give you. Simply follow them through the back door of the pub, up a flight of stairs, past the toilets and into a supply closest.
Although, at first, it may appear to be sketchy, go ahead and open the door. You will find yourself face to face with a fortune teller machine that incorporates the one and only Sigmund.
Different than the spirit you have encountered at the Freud Museum, this Sigmund will stare at you harshly. If you are willing and comfortable enough, go ahead and slide another £5 into the bottom left money slot. Thus, your next hour long session with Freud will begin. He may take a second to begin moving, but once his eyes light up, do not be afraid to tell him about your dreams, your problems, your life. You can even pick up where you left off from your session in his home. The animatronic will respond appropriately to anything said. Just be aware that once he starts talking, it’s hard to get him to stop. He has an awfully big ego.
The Freuds of London
68 Tottenham Court Rad, London W1T 2EZ
Hidden in the shadows provided by Goodge station, there is one more stop you can make on the Freud Tour. From two-thirty to four o’clock in the morning, a group known as the Freud Followers meet in basement of the Scientology Office each week.
If you find yourself stumbling along Tottenham Court Road in the early hours of the morning on a Thursday, do not hesitate to knock three times upon the Scientology Office’s door. A man will come to the door to greet you. He may be dressed in a banana costume, so don’t be alarmed. Simply allow him to unlatch the locks. He will stick his head out the door and request an answer to the riddle, “What kind of music do psychologists listen to?” After answering “Pink Freud,” follow banana-man through the shop and down the stairs into the basement. Please, do not touch the displays as you pass. Scientologists aren’t the friendliest group of people.
The basement may appear creepy when first approaching the Freud Follower’s meeting. Do not be afraid. There will be a pentagram drawn on the floor, and more often than not, there will be people sitting in fold-out chairs at each tip of the star. Sometimes these people are dressed in full Sigmund Freud gear, complete with suits, ties and cigars. In the center of the pentagram there will be a sole person, waiting to be used as a human sacrifice. This person is distinguishable not only by their location on the pentagram, but by their costume. Unlike the other Freuds, this Follower is not a Follower, but a betrayer, and will be dressed as Carl Jung. Do not engage in conversation with Mr. Jung. It is frowned upon by the other Followers to get involved with the man who left Sigmund to create his own theories.
Once all seats are filled, Jung is tied to his chair, cigars are lit and the ritual begins. Each Freud takes turns pulling out their dream journals, where they recount their latest subconscious thoughts. After sharing, the other Freuds will thoroughly examine the dreams for sexual and/or aggressive undertones and imagery. The psychoanalysis session will last for roughly forty-five minutes. If Jung tries to interject his own interpretations during this session, Freud Followers are encouraged to flick their cigar ashes at him.
After the analysis is complete, Carl Jung is released and banana man emerges from upstairs, passing out banana-nut muffins and iced coffee. Thus, the Followers continue to eat and gossip, exchanging theories, opinions and puns.
WARNING: The Freud Followers are not actual psychologists. Do not take anything they say to heart, nor pay them for their analyses.
The Freud Museum
20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SX
While the volunteers of the Freud home do not encourage photographing Freud’s study , they do encourage visitors to purchase the “Face Time with Freud” package. For only £12, this package gives patrons the opportunity to meet the ghost of Sigmund Freud. Once you purchase the package from the gift shop, the man behind the counter will provide you with your own escort and lead you into Freud’s study.
The package allows for visitors to take a seat on Freud’s famous couch, a rare opportunity that is not available to all who come through the museums doors. Your escort will carefully help you over the barricade, a knee-high, draped rope that blocks other patrons from disturbing your time with Sigmund. Once you are over the blockade, your escort will join you, giving you a mini tour of Freud’s desk, lined with African figurines. The package requests that you admire them, for they were one of Sigmund’s most prized possessions. After paying respect to Freud’s figures, the tour guides will provide you with a key before leaving the barricaded room and posting themselves at the doorframe to allow for some privacy between you and the psychologist. Confidentiality, after all, was important to Freud. Just look at all the case studies he published.
The key unlocks the top left drawer of Sigmund’s desk. Upon opening it, the “Face Time with Freud” package holders will be able to choose from a variety of cigars. Go ahead and pick one for yourself, the price is included in the package. A lighter can be found in this drawer as well, but please, leave it for future visitors after using it.
Once you have your cigar, go ahead and light it. Lock the drawer and get comfortable on Sigmund’s couch. Lounge across the furniture, kick your feet up and nurse that cigar. Freud’s ghost should appear within the next fifteen minutes.
However, if the big man himself does not make a guest appearance within a reasonable amount of time, do not be afraid to peel back the paisley blanket that lines the couch and take a nap. Rumor has it that if you conjure a dream, Freud will spend more time with you, analyzing your subconscious thoughts. But be careful! Falling asleep with a lit cigar may cause some damage to the home. Burns can still be found in the fabric of the couch.
After spending your time with Sigmund’s ghost, snap your fingers twice to signal to the volunteer that your session is over. They will lead you back to the gift shop, where you’ll be provided with complementary Sigmund Freud slippers. It’s recommended you wear these as you exit the home, but be careful: Sigmund was a fan of hard wood, so walk with caution. You wouldn’t want to slip.
The Freud Bar
198 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JL
A small venue that hides beneath the conscious awareness of the city, this underground bar is the place to go for Freud Fans. Cramped, crowded, and slightly smelly, it can be quite difficult to worm your way through the crowd to order a drink. With only a few cocktail tables lining the wall across from the bar, people choose to stand, making it hard to maneuver even an inch. If you are able to make it to the bar, it is recommended to purchase a drink. With a variety of options, the most popular beverages are either the Mother Lover or the Oedipus Rex.
However, the alcohol is not the best part of the bar. After downing your drink, if funds still allow it, grab your bartender’s attention and order a “Field Day with Freud.” Don’t become wary of the dubious glance might give you. Simply follow them through the back door of the pub, up a flight of stairs, past the toilets and into a supply closest.
Although, at first, it may appear to be sketchy, go ahead and open the door. You will find yourself face to face with a fortune teller machine that incorporates the one and only Sigmund.
Different than the spirit you have encountered at the Freud Museum, this Sigmund will stare at you harshly. If you are willing and comfortable enough, go ahead and slide another £5 into the bottom left money slot. Thus, your next hour long session with Freud will begin. He may take a second to begin moving, but once his eyes light up, do not be afraid to tell him about your dreams, your problems, your life. You can even pick up where you left off from your session in his home. The animatronic will respond appropriately to anything said. Just be aware that once he starts talking, it’s hard to get him to stop. He has an awfully big ego.
The Freuds of London
68 Tottenham Court Rad, London W1T 2EZ
Hidden in the shadows provided by Goodge station, there is one more stop you can make on the Freud Tour. From two-thirty to four o’clock in the morning, a group known as the Freud Followers meet in basement of the Scientology Office each week.
If you find yourself stumbling along Tottenham Court Road in the early hours of the morning on a Thursday, do not hesitate to knock three times upon the Scientology Office’s door. A man will come to the door to greet you. He may be dressed in a banana costume, so don’t be alarmed. Simply allow him to unlatch the locks. He will stick his head out the door and request an answer to the riddle, “What kind of music do psychologists listen to?” After answering “Pink Freud,” follow banana-man through the shop and down the stairs into the basement. Please, do not touch the displays as you pass. Scientologists aren’t the friendliest group of people.
The basement may appear creepy when first approaching the Freud Follower’s meeting. Do not be afraid. There will be a pentagram drawn on the floor, and more often than not, there will be people sitting in fold-out chairs at each tip of the star. Sometimes these people are dressed in full Sigmund Freud gear, complete with suits, ties and cigars. In the center of the pentagram there will be a sole person, waiting to be used as a human sacrifice. This person is distinguishable not only by their location on the pentagram, but by their costume. Unlike the other Freuds, this Follower is not a Follower, but a betrayer, and will be dressed as Carl Jung. Do not engage in conversation with Mr. Jung. It is frowned upon by the other Followers to get involved with the man who left Sigmund to create his own theories.
Once all seats are filled, Jung is tied to his chair, cigars are lit and the ritual begins. Each Freud takes turns pulling out their dream journals, where they recount their latest subconscious thoughts. After sharing, the other Freuds will thoroughly examine the dreams for sexual and/or aggressive undertones and imagery. The psychoanalysis session will last for roughly forty-five minutes. If Jung tries to interject his own interpretations during this session, Freud Followers are encouraged to flick their cigar ashes at him.
After the analysis is complete, Carl Jung is released and banana man emerges from upstairs, passing out banana-nut muffins and iced coffee. Thus, the Followers continue to eat and gossip, exchanging theories, opinions and puns.
WARNING: The Freud Followers are not actual psychologists. Do not take anything they say to heart, nor pay them for their analyses.
About MaceyMacey Sidlasky is currently a Junior at Eckerd College, double majoring in Creative Writing and Psychology. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she was moved to Tampa, Florida when she was three and raised there. Trading palm trees for double decker buses, she is spending her spring semester in London. Upon returning to Eckerd, she will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing before applying for graduate schools, where she plans to further her education by completing an MFA program. In between her studies, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, and relaxing with her friends and family.
|