Freud in psychoanalytic approach compared the human mind to an iceberg; the small part that shows on the surface of the water represents conscious experience, while the much larger mass below water level represents the unconscious-a storehouse of impulses, passions, and primitive instincts that affect our thoughts and behaviour.
It was this unconscious portion of the mind that Freud sought to explore, and he did so by the method of free association. The method requires that the person talk about everything that comes into the conscious mind, no matter how ridiculous or trivial it might seem.