ABSTRACT
The basic function of phantasy, according to Sigmund Freud is to fulfil an unfulfilled desire when it is unacceptable to consciousness, the desire and the wish fulfilling phantasy become unconscious. Freud also emphasises the importance of the recognition of an external reality. The phantasised objects and the satisfaction derived from them are experienced as physical happenings. The phantasy of an ideal breast breaks down if the frustration is too prolonged or intense. Equally, the persecutory phantasies can be alleviated or overcome by the reality of a good experience. The ascendance of the reality principle nevertheless does not mean that phantasy is abandoned. It continues, but in the unconscious, and is expressed symbolically. Acting on delusion is characterised by certain conjoint phenomena: a misperception of external reality; a misperception of internal reality, for instance, the reality of one’s desire; and a compulsion to act, rather than a choice of action.
