Put simply, the ego is one part of a structural concept within the psychic concept, as defined by Freud. Although he states that the ego is within the topography of the psychic apparatus, it is not in the brain.
The psyche (mental apparatus) begins as an unorganized id (everything present at birth) out of which a structured ego develops. Infancy progresses through various phases of sexual development in which the id’s sources and forms of sexual pleasure change. Paralleling these phases, the ego develops functions enabling the individual to master impluses, operate independently of parental figures, and control the environment.
Part of the ego develops the self critical activities of the super-ego which depend on the introjections of parental figures. The severity of the super-ego partly derives from the violence of the subjects own unconscious feelings in early infancy. The energies of the super-ego may also derive from the id: the self attacking tendency of the super-ego provides an outlet for the subject’s aggressive impulses. Super-ego contains both the infantile past and a higher level of the ego’s self-reflective functions.
Freud gives the ego several important functions.The ego is a guide in reality. It can adapt or change. Conscious perceptions belong to the ego. This is an aspect of the ego turned towards external reality.
But the ego also acts as an inhibiting agency. This is another aspect of the ego which is turned internally and functions unconsciously. For instance, the ego’s repressions of the id are unconscious. This is one of the ego’s defense functions. These functions are all unconscious,
In my opinion this is markedly different from faith and worshiping – the two have no connection. Freud turned the conventional view of mortality and conscience upside down. It is not out of strict moral ideas, which prevent aggressive behaviour. Rather, we have a moral idea because we renounce aggression – he discussed this in The Future of an illusion. Freud was enemy to all religions. He had no hope for “conscience” based on a repressed part of personality. He placed his faith in scientific analysis. The First World War seemed like terrible proof of the struggle between the life and death instincts within civilisations.
Humans may seek pleasure instinctually. But they will actually spend more effort on avoiding pain. Reality provides far more opportunities for experiencing pain than pleasure. So most people will sacrifice pleasure if civilization, in retune, can provide them with less suffering
