Freud was born to a middle-class Jewish family in Austria in 1856. Freud attended the University of Vienna and became a Doctor of Medicine. He is considered the founder of psychoanalysis, though his career was not always successful. Before he wrote The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud had many failed ventures. He dissected hundreds of eels to locate their reproductive organs but was never successful. He also promoted cocaine as a medicinal drug. When Freud became interested in psychotherapy, his trajectory shifted. He profoundly influenced culture and science. An atheist with radical ideas, the psychologist left Vienna in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution. Freud’s books were targeted by the Nazi Party, and Freud became increasingly worried about the safety of himself and his family.

The psychologist’s journey with psychoanalysis began in 1885 when he visited a Parisian hypnotist who inspired him to look beyond neurological resources to assist patients. In 1886, Freud set up a private practice in Vienna where he dabbled with hypnosis and other treatments. During this time, he discovered that asking his patients to talk about their dreams led to strong results. Freud’s own anxious behavioral symptoms preoccupied his work, and he referred to himself as his “chief patient.