Sigmund Freud was a psychoanalyst who explored the role of envy and jealousy in human psychology, and its connection to the belief in the evil eye. Freud believed that envy and jealousy were primal emotions rooted in the human psyche, and that these emotions could manifest in various ways, including through belief in supernatural powers such as the evil eye.
According to Freud, the belief in the evil eye was a projection of an individual’s own sense of envy and jealousy onto others. He argued that the belief in the evil eye allowed individuals to externalize their own destructive impulses, and to assign responsibility for their misfortunes to others. In this sense, Freud saw the belief in the evil eye as a form of defense mechanism against the anxiety and guilt associated with envy and jealousy.
Freud’s analysis of the evil eye reflects his broader theories about the human psyche and the mechanisms of repression and projection that underlie human behavior. He saw the belief in the evil eye as a way of managing and containing primal emotions that might otherwise be too overwhelming to confront directly.
Overall, Freud’s analysis of the evil eye represents an important contribution to the study of human psychology and the cultural and symbolic dimensions of human experience. His work highlights the complex ways in which emotions such as envy and jealousy can shape our beliefs and perceptions, and the powerful role that cultural symbols and beliefs can play in mediating our relationship to these emotions.