In reaction to the terrors of war, Surrealists encouraged people to cure themselves by tapping into their unconscious instead of rebelling against the conventions of society and art. This process was achieved in part by psychoanalysis that examined the dream world. In his writings, the Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud thoroughly researched this subject seeking a way to cure disturbing thoughts, repressed addictions, and sexual drives. Surrealists on the other hand invited everyone to embrace rather than eradicate these symptoms and investigate their potential through various forms of art.