What is the name of the part of the mind that is the source of an individual’s psychic energy?

The Id represents the part of the mind that is the source of an individual’s psychic energy, according to Freudian psychoanalytic theory. It operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate satisfaction of desires, needs, and urges without considering the consequences. This innate aspect of the personality is present from birth and encompasses our primal instincts and basic drives, such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire.

In contrast, the Ego is the part of the mind that mediates between the desires of the Id and the rules of the external world, functioning primarily on the reality principle. The Superego embodies the moral standards and ideals acquired from society and parents, striving to control the impulses of the Id and facilitating a sense of right and wrong. The Self is a more contemporary and less commonly defined term in traditional psychoanalytic theorizing, often referring to an individual's conscious identity or sense of self.

Thus, the Id is fundamentally linked to the source of psychic energy, differentiating it from the other components of the mind that serve more regulatory and moral functions.