Creates an image of the object that would rectify the uncomfortable situation-not all tension can be relieved through reflex action. this is especially true of psychic or emotional tension, usually called anxiety. in these cases the id employs the primary processes to diminish tension by creating an image of the object that would rectify the uncomfortable situation. for example, the mirages of water that people see in the desert enable them to experience in their minds the reality of plentiful water. freud referred to this process as wish fulfillment. it is obvious that primary processes and wish fulfillment offer only temporary relief from tension (p. 16-17).
