839

ON PSYCHO-ANALYSIS.

By Prof. Sigmund Freud, Vienna.

At the friendly request of the Secretary of your section of Neurology
and Psychiatry I take the liberty of directing the attention of this Congress
to the subject of psycho-analysis, which at the present moment is being
extensively studied by Neurologists and Psychiatrists in Europe and
America.
 

Psycho-analysis is a remarkable combination which includes not only
a method of examination of the neuroses, but also a method of treatment
based on the etiology thus discovered. I may say, to begin with, that
psycho-analysis is not a child of speculation, but the result of experience,
and, for this reason, like every new product of science, is unfinished.
Everyone is invited to convince himself by his own investigations of the
correctness of assertions contained herein, and to help in the further
development of the study.
 

Psycho-analysis began with researches on hysteria, but in the course
of years it has extended far beyond this field of work. The “ Studies on
Hysteria," by Breuer and myself, published in 1895, were the beginnings
of psycho-analysis; they derived in the track of Charcot's work in
“ Traumatic Hysteria," Liébault and Bernheim's “ Proof of the Hypnotic
 

840

phenomena," and Janet's studies on “ Unconscious Psychic Processes."
Psycho-analysis soon put itself into sharp antagonism with Janet's
opinions, because (a) it refused to trace hysteria directly to a congenital
hereditary degeneration, (b) it offered instead of a mere description a
dynamic explanation by a play of psychic forces, and (c) it referred psychic
dissociation (the importance of which had also been recognised by Janet)
not to a psychic synthesis arising from a congenital disability, but to a
special psychic process called “ repression " (Verdrängung).
 

It has been directly proved that hysterical symptoms are residues
(reminiscences) of impressive incidents, which have been withdrawn from
everyday consciousness, and are determined in form by details of the
traumatic effects of these incidents in a way which excludes voluntary
formation. In this conception the therapeutic possibilities consist of
the chances of annulling such a “ repression," so as to allow part of the
unconscious psychic life to become conscious and thus deprive it of its
pathogenic power. This conception is a dynamic one in so far as it
regards the psychic processes as displacements of psychic energy, which
can be estimated by the degree of their action on the affective elements.
This is most significant in hysteria, where the process of “ conversion "
creates the symptoms by transforming a mental mass of emotion into
somatic innervations.
 

The first psycho-analytic examinations and attempts at treatment
were made with the aid of hypnotism. Afterwards this was abandoned
and the work performed by the method of “ free association," the patient
remaining in his normal state. This modification had the advantage
that the procedure could be applied to a far larger number of cases of
hysteria, to other neuroses, and also to healthy individuals. The develop-
ment of a special faculty of interpretation, however, became necessary,
so as to draw conclusions from the expressed ideas of the examined
individual. These interpretations established with all certainty the fact
that the psychic dissociations are kept up solely by “ inner resistances."
The conclusion, therefore, seems justified, that they have arisen through
inner psychic conflict which has led to the “ repression " of the under-
lying emotion. To overcome this conflict and thereby cure the neurosis,
the guiding hand of the doctor trained in psycho-analysis is required.
 

Further, it has been very generally demonstrated that in all neuroses
the morbid symptoms are really the end product of such conflicts,
which have led to “ repression " and “ psychic cleavage." The
symptoms are generated by different mechanisms: (a) either as forma-
tions in substitution for the repressed forces; or (b) as compromises
between the repressing and the repressed forces; or (c) as reaction-
formations and securities against the repressed forces.
 

The investigations were further extended to the conditions under
which psychic conflicts lead to “ repression " (i.e., dissociation caused
dynamically), because it goes without saying, that a psychic conflict may
in itself have also a normal ending. Psycho-analysis yielded as result,
that the conflicts are always between sexual impulses (using the word
“ sexual " in the widest sense) and the wishes and tendencies of the
remaining ego. In the neurosis it is the sexual impulses which succumb
to “ repression," and, consequently, form the most important basis for
the genesis of symptoms, which, therefore, may be conceived as sexual
gratifications in substitution.

841

Our work on the question of pre-disposition to neurotic affections has
added the " infantile " factor to the hitherto recognised somatic and
hereditary factors. Thus psycho-analysis had to trace back the psychic
life of the patient to their early infancy, and the conclusion was arrived
at that mental arrests of development (infantilism) form our pre-disposition
to the neuroses. We have learnt, particularly from the tracing of the
sexual life, that an " infantile sexuality " does really exist, that the
sexual impulse is made up of many components and passes through a
complicated development, the final result of which is, after many restric-
tions and transformations, the " normal sexuality " of the adult. The
puzzling perversions of the sexual impulse in adults appear to be either
arrests of development, fixations, or one-sided growths. The neurosis is,
therefore, the negative of the perversion.
 

The cultural development forced on mankind is the momentum which
renders the restrictions and suppressions of the sexual impulse necessary,
greater or lesser sacrifices being demanded according to the individual
constitution. Development is hardly ever achieved smoothly, and
disturbances may occur on account of the individual constitution or of
premature sexual incidents, leaving behind the disposition to future
neuroses. Such dispositions may remain harmless, if the life of the adult
develops satisfactorily and unpretentiously; but they become pathogenic
if the conditions of the mature life deny the gratification of the “ libido,"
or make too high demands on its suppression.
 

From the investigations which deal with the sexual activity of the
child, a further conception of the sexual impulse arises, which is based
not on its purposes but on its sources. The sexual impulse possesses
in a high degree the faculty of being diverted from its direct sexual goals
and of being led towards higher goals, which are no longer sexual
(" sublimation "). The impulse is thus enabled to furnish most important
contributions to the social and artistic achievements of humanity.
 

The simultaneous presence of the three momenta—“ infantilism,"
“ sexuality," and “ repression "—forms the principal characteristic of
the psycho-analytic theory, and marks its difference from other con-
ceptions of morbid psychic life. Psycho-analysis has at the same time
demonstrated that between the psychic life of normals, of neurotics and
of psychotics there exists no fundamental difference but only one of
degree. The normal individual has to pass through the same “ repres-
sions " and has to battle with the same substituted or surrogate
creations; the difference being only that the normal person performs
these processes with less trouble and better success. The psycho-analytic
method of examination can, therefore, also be applied to the explanation
of normal psychic phenomena, and has made it possible to discover the
close relationship between morbid psychic productions and normal
creations, such as dreams, the small blunders of everyday life, the valuable
attachments of the jokes, myths, and poetry. Of these the explanation
of the dream is the furthest advanced and results in the following general
formula: " the dream is a deformed fulfilment of a repressed wish." Dream
interpretation has for object removal of the deformity, which the
unconscious thoughts of the dreamer have undergone; also it is a highly
valuable aid to psycho-analytic technique, since it constitutes the most
convenient method for obtaining insight into unconscious psychic life.

842

The tendency of contradicting the doctrines of psycho-analysis often
occurs in medical and especially in psychiatric circles, without any real
study or any practical application. This is due not only to the striking
novelty and contrast of the doctrines when compared with those hitherto
held by psychiatrists, but also to the fact that the premises and technique
of psycho-analysis are much more nearly related to the realm of mind than
to that of medicine. It is, however, beyond dispute that the purely medical
and non-psychological teachings have up to now done very little towards
the understanding of the psychic life. The progress of psycho-analysis
is further retarded by the fear of the average observer to see himself
in his own mirror. Scientific men are liable to meet emotional resistances
by arguments, and thus satisfy themselves to their own satisfaction!
Anyone who does not wish to ignore a truth will do well to distrust his
antipathy, and, if he wishes to subject the doctrine of psycho-analysis
to a critical examination, let him also analyse his own person.
 

I cannot believe that in these few sentences I have succeeded in
painting a distinct picture of the principles and purposes of psycho-
analysis, but append a list of the principal publications on the subject,
perusal of which will supply further enlightenment to those whom I
have interested.
 

1. Breuer and Freud. Studien über Hysterie. 1885. Fr. Deuticke,
   Vienna. A portion of the above has been translated into English
   in " Selected Papers on Hysteria and other Psycho-neuroses,"
   by Dr. A. A. Brill, New York, 1909.
2. Freud. Drei Abhandlungen zur Sexualtheorie. Vienna. 1905.
   English translation by Dr. Brill, " Three Contributions to the
   Sexual Theory," New York, 1910.
3. Freud. Zur Psychopathologie des Alltagslebens. S. Karger,
   Berlin. 3rd edition 1910.
4. Freud. Die Traumdeutung. Vienna, 1900. 3rd ed., 1911.
5. Freud. The Origin and Development of Psycho-analysis. Amer.
   Jour. of Psychology. April, 1910. Also in German: " Ueber
   Psychoanalyse." Five Lectures given at the Clark University,
   Worcester, Mass., 1909.
6. Freud. Der Witz und seine Beziehung zum Unbewussten. Vienna,
   1905.
7. Freud. Collection of minor papers on the Doctrine of Neuroses.
   1893-1906. Vienna, 1906. Vienna, 1909.
8. Idem. A second collection. Vienna, 1909.
9. Hitschmann. Freud's Neurosenlehre. Vienna, 1911.
10. C. G. Jung. Diagnostische Associationsstudien. Two volumes.
    1906-1910.
11. C. G. Jung. Ueber die Psychologie der Dementia Praecox. 1907.
12. Jahrbuch für psycho-analytische und psychopathologische Fors-
    chungen, published by F. Bleuler and S. Freud, edited by Jung.
    Since 1909.
13. Schriften zur angewandten Seelenkunde. Fr. Deuticke, Vienna.
    Since 1909. Eleven parts, by Freud, Jung, Abraham, Pfister,
    Rank, Jones, Riklin, Graf, Sadler.
14. Zentralblatt für Psychoanalyse. Edited by A. Adler and W.
    Stekel. J. Bergmann, Wiesbaden. Since Sept., 1910.

AUSTRALASIAN MEDICAL CONGRESS
(Formerly the Intercolonial Medical Congress of Australasia).

TRANSACTIONS OF THE NINTH
SESSION
 

HELD IN

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES,
 

SEPTEMBER, 1911.

F. ANTILL POCKLEY, M.D., PRESIDENT.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.

PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.

SYDNEY: WILLIAM APPLEGATE GULLICK, GOVERNMENT PRINTER.
1913.

*9767

AUSTRALASIAN MEDICAL CONGRESS.

TRANSACTIONS,
NINTH SESSION.

VOL. II.
SYDNEY, 1911.