FIGURE 12.1 Freud’s idea of the mind’s structure Icebergs hide most of their bulk beneath the surface of the water. Psychologists often use this image to illustrate Freud’s idea that the mind is mostly hidden beneath the conscious surface of our awareness. Note that the id is totally unconscious, but ego and superego operate both consciously and unconsciously. Unlike the parts of a frozen iceberg, however, the id, ego, and superego interact.