primary process

noun Psychoanalysis.

the generally unorganized mental activity characteristic of the unconscious and occurring in dreams, fantasies, and related processes.
Compare secondary process.

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British Dictionary definitions for primary processes

primary processes

pl n

psychoanal unconscious, irrational thought processes, such as condensation or displacement, governed by the pleasure principle Compare secondary processes

Medical definitions for primary processes

primary process

n.

In psychoanalysis, the mental process directly related to the functions of the id and characteristic of unconscious mental activity, marked by unorganized, illogical thinking and by the tendency to seek immediate discharge and gratification of instinctual demands.