Which technique is used by Freud to uncover hidden desires or thoughts in patients?

Free association is a technique developed by Sigmund Freud that encourages patients to verbalize their thoughts without censorship or filtering. The premise is that by allowing thoughts to flow freely, individuals may reveal their unconscious desires, fears, and conflicts that they might otherwise suppress or not be consciously aware of.

During sessions, patients are prompted to say whatever comes to their mind, which can lead to the uncovering of significant emotional conflicts and hidden thoughts. This approach aims to bypass the defenses that prevent individuals from accessing deeper emotional truths and can lead to insights that are crucial for therapeutic progress.

While dream analysis is another important technique used by Freud to interpret the latent content (hidden meanings) of dreams, it is not as direct as free association in its approach to accessing unconscious material. Hypnosis also serves as a means to access unconscious thoughts but is less commonly used and typically requires a more controlled environment. Transference refers to the phenomenon where patients project feelings and attitudes onto the therapist, which can provide insight into their relational patterns but does not specifically aim to uncover hidden desires or thoughts in the same way that free association does.