Freuds "The return of the repression"

The term "the return of the repressed" is a term developed by Freud linking with the idea of neurotic symptoms. Linking in with his idea of the Ego, the Superego and the Id, Freud developed this idea to try and describe what happens when a thought or a feeling trys to force its way to the mind in which it will be expressed (Id, for example). The Ego, commonly known as the 'referee', would however stop this by repressing it back down, allowing it never to be expressed and/or portrayed. The feelings of an only child being introduced to a new brother/sister at a young age is a perfect example of this - mixing all the new and confusing emotions together and the child having to repress all the feelings down into the unconscious.

So, Freud believes that as humans, everyone goes through the process of repressing at some point, especially when they are growing up. He believed that we push things down and ignore them in the bid to cover up our true emotions, or in fact to come to terms with what has happened. However, although we may push those thoughts down inside us so far that we stop thinking about them, those thoughts and strong feelings and emotions as well as desires and impulses are still there, and always will be. We can go on for months, even years without thinking about what we have repressed, but Freud believes that we will never forgot it, and even a simple trigger can bring back repressed memories from years ago, and our true feelings and emotions will eventually come out nearer the time, and possibly more developed.

So, how does this relate to horror? well, if we all repress certain feelings and emotions, then what about our feelings when we are hurt, or betrayed, or even more extreme (such as being abused as a child, etc). Even the example I previously used about an older child being ignored when a new child is brought into the family applies well to this. If Freud believes that all of us, one day will have our repressed memories come back, who knows how we will control these emotions. Horror takes this idea and allows it to work in its favour, because our villains can always be looked at as having repressed thoughts coming out, causing them to do the things they do. People always say when watching some of the disgusting and terrifying things that happen in horror 'oh how would think to do that?', well, horror uses the idea that we've had repressed feelings of anger and impulses to do bad things to people to allow the villains to perform such acts. Because, like in real life, horror plays on the idea that people do bad things because they aren't psychologically healthy - no normal person would do half of these things. So Horror, and Freud work well along side each other, taking Freud's idea of repressing all our hidden emotions, and horrors impulses of letting them all come out.

Horror audiences on the other hand, could have Freuds theory applied to them in 2 different ways. One thing about watching horror is that, if a person has lead a life that has been very extreme and they have gone through a lot, one simple horror film could unlock all the repressed memories they have, once being reminded of it. But on the other hand, horror may only be feeding people's sick minds for when/if their repressed memories are ever unlocked. Audiences are also shown the strong bond between 'good' and 'evil' as Freud intended.