atter of which functioned to protect the ego from the emergence of fantasies, and desires. Freud saw "neurosis as an individual religion, religion as a universal obsessional neurosis. This neurosis plagued Ivan Ilych at the end of his life. Freud called religion: ...the suppression, the renunciation, of certain instinctual impulses. Freud's theories include scientific thinking, which can have non-rational sources and can be indicative of wishful thinking. As with Ivan wishing that he had done something meaningful with his life. Convictions, no matter how strong, must be capable of being refined, modified and even abandoned if necessary. Ivan Ilych was in a struggle with his beliefs, which made the remainder of his life full of suffering. This led Ivan to the feeling of helplessness, which brings us full circle to Freud's critique....
