Final answer:
Sigmund Freud believed in understanding the unconscious mind and used dream analysis, slips of the tongue, and free association as means to access the unconscious. He believed that dreams provided valuable insight into an individual's unconscious desires and conflicts. Freud also used self-analysis to gain insight into his own unconscious mind and refine his theories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sigmund Freud believed that understanding the unconscious mind was absolutely critical to understand conscious behavior. This was especially true for individuals that he saw who suffered from various hysterias and neuroses. Freud relied on dream analysis, slips of the tongue, and free association as means to access the unconscious.
Freud's approach to dream interpretation involved distinguishing between the manifest content and the latent content of dreams. The manifest content refers to the actual content or storyline of a dream, while the latent content refers to the hidden meaning. Freud believed that analyzing dreams could provide valuable insight into an individual's unconscious desires and conflicts.
Freud used self-analysis as a means to gain insight into his own unconscious mind. By exploring his own thoughts, feelings, and dreams, Freud hoped to understand the deeper motivations and conflicts that influenced his own behavior. Self-analysis also served as a way for Freud to refine his theories and develop his psychoanalytic approach.