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Evangelion has been interpreted as a deeply personal expression of Hideaki Anno's own emotional struggles with depression.[40] During the production of the series, he became interested in mental illness and psychology.[44] According to him, Rei is a schizophrenic character[67] and she represents the unconscious of Shinji.[59][68] Shinji has an Oedipus complex,[69][70] and is characterized by a libido-destrudo conflict.[71] Similarly, Ritsuko has an Electra complex, in which she loves Gendo, a sort of substitute of her father figure.[72] Anno himself stated that the main character reflects his character, "both in conscious and unconscious part",[73] referring also to Kaworu as his Jungian shadow.[74] It has even been suggested that Shinji's entering into Unit-01 is a Freudian "return to the womb", and that his struggle to be free of the Eva is his "rite of passage" into manhood.[75] The series contains many references to philosophical and psychoanalytic concepts, such as the oral stage, introjection, oral personality, ambivalence,[76] and the death drive,[77] including some elements of the works of Sigmund Freud,[78][79] Arthur Schopenhauer,[80] Søren Kierkegaard and others.[81]