The defense mechanism in which unacceptable impulses are moved from awareness back into the unconscious...

Repression is a defense mechanism described by Freud in which unacceptable impulses, thoughts, or memories are unconsciously pushed out of conscious awareness into the unconscious mind. Unlike suppression, which is a conscious process, repression happens automatically. “Repression is the primary defense mechanism; unacceptable desires or impulses are banished to the unconscious so they are not consciously experienced.”