The Freudian Slip: When Your Tongue Reveals Hidden Thoughts

Freudian slips are verbal errors that may reveal subconscious thoughts and hidden desires, though modern psychology debates whether these mistakes expose deeper meanings or result from random language processing errors, with some research suggesting context can influence slip content and psychodynamic therapy offering exploration opportunities.

Ever called your boss "mom" or said something completely wrong at the worst possible moment? Freudian slips might reveal more about your hidden thoughts than you realize — discover what modern psychology says about these embarrassing verbal mistakes.

Revealing Thoughts: Understanding the Freudian Slip Theory

Do our everyday mistakes and verbal stumbles reveal deeper meanings about our subconscious thoughts? Sigmund Freud certainly thought so, developing this concept into a fundamental element of his psychoanalytic theory. Today, many people still use the term “Freudian slip” when referring to embarrassing verbal errors, suggesting these mistakes might expose hidden desires or fears. But how valid is this concept in modern psychology? While many contemporary mental health professionals view verbal mistakes as random occurrences resulting from the brain’s complex language processing, others find merit in Freud’s hypothesis, with some research appearing to support the idea that our slips of the tongue may indeed reveal more than we intend.

Defining the Freudian Slip

In its simplest form, a Freudian slip refers to a minor error that potentially reveals a person’s anxieties, desires, or concealed thoughts. The phrase evolved from “a slip of the tongue,” describing an accidental verbal error causing someone to use an unintended word.

Freud’s theory extended beyond simple word substitutions. In his 1901 publication The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, he proposed that mistakes ranging from forgotten words and names to dropping or misplacing objects could be traced to difficult unconscious emotions. He termed these revealing errors “Fehlleistungen,” or “faulty actions,” which researchers now often call “parapraxes.”

According to this theory, these errors may stem from an unconscious attempt to suppress thoughts that are emotionally challenging or contextually inappropriate. Freud believed these initial “forbidden” impulses persist, eventually finding expression through seemingly innocent daily mistakes.

Freud also considered these repressed urges, anxieties, and ideas as potential causes of mental health issues. In his view, individuals might develop significant cognitive and behavioral disturbances when avoiding certain wishes or fears that contradict their self-perception. Consequently, Freud typically viewed unintended actions and verbal mistakes as potentially important diagnostic indicators.

Exploring the Meaning Behind Freudian Slips

To uncover the hidden meanings behind mistakes, therapists in the Freudian tradition often employ free association. This technique typically involves asking clients to express everything that comes to mind when reflecting on a particular error they’ve made, regardless of how irrelevant or foolish these thoughts might seem.

The principle is that by allowing their mind to move freely from one idea to another without rational constraints, individuals may express previously suppressed thoughts and feelings.

Freud illustrated this with an example of a man who forgot the Latin word “aliquis” while quoting Virgil. Through free association with the forgotten word, the conversation led through topics of liquids, reliquaries, blood, calendars, and missed events. Eventually, this process revealed the man’s anxiety about his partner potentially missing her menstrual period due to an unplanned pregnancy.

In therapy, this form of free association can be applied to various products of the subconscious mind, including:

• Dreams
• Daydreams
• Hallucinations
• Accidental actions
• Pathological delusions
• Memory lapses

Common Examples of Freudian Slips

Understanding Freudian slips becomes clearer with examples. There are several types of parapraxes:

Word Substitutions

These represent many well-known Freudian slips, perhaps because they often create humorous situations. In this error type, someone says one word when intending another, similar word.

Example: A therapist trying to avoid acknowledging attraction to their client says “erection” instead of “direction” when providing guidance.

Forgetting Words or Phrases

Rather than substituting words, a person might make a Freudian slip by failing to recall a word that triggers thoughts they’re trying to avoid.

Example: Someone afraid of being terminated from their job struggles to remember the title “Terminator” during a casual movie discussion.

Misspellings

Freud believed parapraxes could occur in both written and spoken communication. Someone writing or typing quickly might make a revealing typo that exposes their true feelings.

Example: Responding to an invitation from someone you secretly dislike, you write, “I already hate plans that day” instead of “I already have plans that day.”

Accidental Actions

According to Freud’s theory, subconscious thoughts could manifest through actions as well as words. Seemingly simple mistakes might reflect hidden urges.

Example: A person concerned about their appearance accidentally opens their front-facing camera when trying to photograph a friend.

Scientific Validity of the Freudian Slip Theory

Since Freud developed his psychoanalytic theory, many researchers and clinicians have questioned his ideas about the subconscious mind, including his explanation of parapraxis. Cognitive psychologists often argue that verbal slips can typically be explained by simple mental processing errors.

Few contemporary mental health professionals believe all inattentive mistakes and verbal errors result from taboo impulses emerging from our subconscious. However, some intriguing experiments suggest this may occur in certain cases.

A notable example is Michael Motley’s 1979 experiment on laboratory-induced verbal mistakes. Participants rapidly read word pairs designed to be easily confused. When in the presence of an attractively dressed lab assistant, they were more likely to make sexually suggestive “Freudian slips.” While the total number of errors remained constant, their content changed.

Though many researchers dispute Motley’s findings, they’ve generally been replicated in at least one subsequent study. Further research may be needed to determine the broader applicability of these results.

One possible explanation for Freudian slips is that when we feel anxious about certain thoughts—either because they disturb us personally or would be socially inappropriate—our brains may pay more attention to them. Consequently, trying to suppress a particular idea might actually increase its recurrence frequency.

In other words, actively trying not to think about something likely brings it to the forefront of your mind, making it more likely to emerge when you’re distracted, sleep-deprived, or upset.

Freudian Slips in Literature and Culture

Why has the Freudian slip concept remained popular despite psychological skepticism? Partly because it makes an excellent literary device. Writers often have characters reveal their true desires during stressful moments.

For example, many people recall the moment in the TV show Friends when Ross, at the altar, called his fiancée “Rachel”—the name of the woman he truly loved. Such literary uses may reinforce public belief that this phenomenon is common and real.

Interestingly, creative works suggest the concept of Freudian slips might predate Freud himself. Some scholars note that Shakespeare’s characters sometimes demonstrate parapraxis, making speech errors that hint at their concealed wishes, opinions, and intentions.

Therapy Can Help Explore Your Verbal Slips

Have you experienced a slip of the tongue or unintended action that made you wonder about its meaning? Do you suspect you might have impulses or anxieties your conscious mind hasn’t recognized?

If so, consulting with a mental health professional trained in psychodynamic therapy could be beneficial. This therapeutic approach derives from Freud’s psychoanalytic practice but has been enhanced and updated based on subsequent research.

If you’re uncertain about committing to therapy’s time and expense, consider working with a therapist through ReachLink’s telehealth services. For many clients, virtual therapy proves more affordable and convenient than in-person mental health treatment. You can attend sessions from any location with internet access, including the comfort of your own home.

Despite the physical distance between provider and client, remote therapy appears equally beneficial for mental health as traditional methods. Research reviewing scientific studies on this practice generally finds no effectiveness difference between online and face-to-face therapy. Analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials shows that teletherapy and in-person therapy have similar treatment outcomes and symptom reduction. The added convenience of consulting with a therapist online makes it an excellent way to begin exploring your unconscious desires and motivations.

Takeaway

According to Freud’s theory of the mind, feelings we consciously resist acknowledging can surface through memory lapses, verbal errors, and mistaken actions in daily life. Despite considerable skepticism from modern psychological practitioners, some evidence suggests these “Freudian slips” do occur. They may result from the increased attention we give to thoughts we’re anxious about revealing. If you’re interested in exploring your own unconscious mind, consider working with a licensed clinical social worker through ReachLink’s secure telehealth platform.