the foundations of personality-第15章

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ice　the　male　hysteric　is　not　common。　Out　of　his　experience　and　effort　he　built　up　a　system　of　beliefs　and　treatment；　the　evolution　of　which　is　interesting；　but　which　is　not　here　important。　At　the　present　time　the　Freudian　doctrine　hangs　on　the　following　beliefs：　1。　That　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　of　life　everything　in　the　mental　activities　of　man　has　a　cause　and　a　meaning；　and　that　these　causes　and　meanings　may　be　traced　back　to　infancy。　No　slip　of　the　tongue　is　accidental；　it　has　purpose　and　this　purpose　can　be　traced　by　psychoanalysis。　So　with　hysteric　phenomena：　the　paralyses；　the　sensory　changes；　all　the　queer　and　startling　things　represent　something　of　importance　and　of　value　to　the　subconscious。　2。　There　is　in　man　a　subconscious　mentality；　having　wills；　purposes；　strivings；　desires；　passions。　These　trends　are　the　raw；　native；　uninhibited　desires　of　man；　they　are　our　lusts；　our　crude　unsocialized　desires；　arising　out　of　a　metaphysical；　undifferentiated　yearning　called　libido。　In　the　Freudian　〃psychology〃　the　libido　is　mainly　sex　desire　and　takes　the　form　of　homosexual　feelings；　incest　feelings　（desire　for　the　father　or　for　the　motherthe　oedipus　complex）；　desire　for　the　sister　or　brother。＇1＇　（The　human　being；　according　to　Freud；　goes　through　three　stages　in　his　sex　life：　first；　a　sex　attachment　to　himself　marked　by　thumb　sucking；　masturbation；　etc。；　second；　an　attachment　to　the　same　sexhomosexualityand；　finally；　the　attachment　or　desire　for　the　opposite　sex。）　In　the　practical　application　of　the　Freudian　psychology　to　the　patients　the　sex　conflicts　（of　which　we　shall　speak　shortly）　are　all　important；　the　subconsciousness　is　largely　taken　up　with　sex　and　with　efforts　to　obtain　gratification　for　these　sex　desires。　＇1＇　The　Freudians　would　protest　against　this。　Libido　is　the　life　energy；but　all　the　Freudian　analyses　of　actual　cases　published　make　libido　sex；　and　usually　〃perverse。〃　（I　put　the　perverse　in　quotations　because　I　fear　to　be　called　prudish　by　Freudians。）

3。　But；　the　theory　continues；　the　conscious　personality　is　the　socialized　personality；　having　aims　and　ends　not　consistent　with　desire　for　mother；　homosexual　cravings；　lust　for　a　married　man　or　woman。　So　there　ensues　a　battle　between　desire　and　inhibition。　The　inhibiting　agent　is　a　something　called　the　censor；　who　pushes　back　into　the　subconsciousness　the　socially　tabooed；　the　socially　abhorrent　desires；　represses　emotions　and　instincts　that　are　socially　out　of　order。　But　there　is　no　real　victory　for　the　consciousness；　for　the　complex　（the　name　given　to　a　desire　or　wish　with　its　attendant　ideas；　emotions　and　motor　manifestations）　is　still　active；　subconsciously　changing　the　life　of　the　person；　causing　him　to　make　slips　in　his　speech；　expressing　itself　in　his　dreams　and　his　work；　and　if　sufficiently　powerful；　giving　rise　to　nervous　or　mental　disease　of　one　type　or　another。　Nothing　is　ever　forgotten；　according　to　Freud；　and　the　reason　our　childhood　is　not　voluntarily　remembered　is　because　it　is　full　of　forbidden　desires　and　curiosities　and　the　developing　censor　thrusts　it　all　into　the　subconsciousness；　where　it　continues　to　make　trouble　all　the　rest　of　the　individual's　life。　In　fact；　a　cardinal　part　of　Freudianism　（which　he　and　his　followers　are　lately　modifying）　is　that　it　is　the　results　of　the　〃psychic　traumata〃　（psychical　injuries）　of　infancy　and　childhood　that　cause　the　hysteria　of　the　adult；　and　these　psychical　traumata　are　largely　（about　ninety…　nine　per　cent。）　sexual。　4。　Freudianism　has　borrowed　the　time…honored　dictum　that　every　sensation　has　a　natural　result　in　action　and　has　elaborated　it　into　the　statement　that　every　affective　state；　every　desire　and　craving　of　whatever　sort；　needs　a　motor　discharge；　an　avenue　of　outlet。　If　the　desire　or　emotion　is　inhibited；　its　excitement　is　transferred　with　it　into　the　subconscious　and　that　excitement　may　attach　itself　to　other　excitements　and　break　into　consciousness　as　a　mental　disturbance　of　one　type　or　another。　If　you　can　get　at　the　complex　by　psychoanalysis；　by　dragging　it　to　the　light；　by　making　it　conscious；　you　discharge　the　excitement　and　health　is　restored。　This　originally　was　very　important　in　the　Freudian　work　and　was　called　by　the　crude　term　of　catharsis。　5。　How　can　one　get　at　these　subterranean　cravings　and　strivings；　at　the　fact　that　originally　one　desired　one's　mother　and　was　jealous　of　one's　father；　or　vice　versa？　Here　Freud　developed　an　elaborate　technique　based　on　the　following：　Though　the　censor　sits　on　the　lid　of　the　subconsciousness；　that　wily　self　has　ways　and　means　of　expression。　In　dreams；　in　humor；　in　the　slip　of　the　tongue；　in　forgetfulness；　in　myths　of　the　race；　in　the　symptoms　of　the　hysteric　patient；　in　the　creations　of　writers　and　artists；　the　subconsciousness　seeks　to　symbolize　in　innocent　（or　acceptable）　form　its　crude　wishes。　By　taking　a　dream；　for　example；　and　analyzing　it　by　what　is　known　as　the　free　association　method；　one　discovers　the　real　meaning　of　the　terms　used；　the　meaning　behind　the　symbol；　and　behind　the　apparent　dream…content　one　sees　revealed　the　wishes　and　disorganizing　desires　of　the　subconscious　or　the　real　person。　For　throughout　Freud's　work；　though　not　so　definitely　expressed；　there　is　the　idea　that　the　subconscious　is　by　far　the　most　important　part　of　the　personality；　and　that　the　social　purposes；　the　moral　injunctions　and　feelings　are　not　the　real　purposes　and　real　desires　of　the　real　personality。　In　analyzing　dreams；　the　symbols　become　quite　standardized。　The　horses；　dogs；　beards；　queer　situations　of　the　dream　（falling；　walking　without　clothes；　picking　up　money；　etc。）；　the　demons；　ghosts；　flying；　relate　definitely　to　sex　situations；　sex　organs；　sex　desires。　（The　Freudians　are　apt　to　deny　this　theoretically；　but　practically　every　dream　of　the　thousands　they　publish　is　a　sex　dream　of　crude　content。）　Naturally　a　〃pure〃　girl　is　quite　shocked　when　told　that　because　she　dreamed　she　was　riding　a　gray　horse　in　a　green　meadow　that　she　really　has　bad　（and　still　is　troubled　by）　incestuous　desires　for　her　father；　but　that　is　the　way　to　cure　her　of　her　neurasthenia　or　fatigue　or　obsession　of　one　kind　or　other。　I　have　not　attempted　a　detailed　account　of　the　technique　of　free　association；　nor　the　Freudian　account　of　humor；　etc。　There　are　plenty　of　books　on　the　market　written　by　Freud　himself　and　his　followers。　Frankly　I　advise　the　average　person　not　to　read　them。　I　am　opposed　to　the　Freudian　account　of　life　and　character；　though　recognizing　that　he　has　caused　the　psychologist　to　examine　life　with　more　realism；　to　strip　away　pretense；　to　be　familiar　with　the　crude　and　to　examine　conduct　with　the　microscope。　I　do　not　believe　there　is　an　ORGANIZED　subconsciousness；　having　a　PERSONALITY。　Most　of　the　work　which　proves　this　has　been　done　on　hysterics。　Hysterics　are　usually　proficient　liars；　are　very　suggestible　and　quite　apt　to　give　the　examiner　what　he　looks　for；　because　they　seek　his　friendly　interest　and　eager　study。　Wherever　I　have　checked　up　the　〃subconscious〃　facts　as　revealed　by　the　patient　as　a　result　of　his　psychoanalysis　or　through　hypnosis；　I　have　found　but　little　truth。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Freudians　practically　never　check　up　the　statements　of　their　patients；　if　a　woman　tells　all　sorts　of　tales　of　her　husband's　attitude　toward　her；　or　of　the　attitude　of　her　parents；　it　is　taken　for　granted　that　she　tells　the　truth。　My　belief　is　that　had　the　statements　of　Freud's　patients　been　carefully　investigated　he　would　probably　never　have　evolved　his　theories。　The　Freudians　have　made　no　consecutive　study　of　normal　childhood；　though　they　lay　great　stress　on　this　period　of　life　and　in　fact　trace　the　symptoms　of　their　patients　back　to　〃infantile　trauma。〃　Most　of　Freud's　ideas　on　sex　development　can　be　traced　to；　the　one　four…and…a…half…years…old　child　he　analyzed；　who　was　as　representative　of　normal　childhood　as　the　little　chess　champion　of　nine　years　now　astounding　the　world　is　representative　of　the　chess　ability　of　the　average　child。　Moreover；　the　basis　of　the　technique　is　the　free　association；　an　association　released　from　inhibitions　of　all　kinds。　There　isn't　any　such　thing；　as　Professor　Woodworth　has　pointed　out。　All　associations　are　conditioned　by　the　physical　condition　of　the　patient；　by　his　mood；　by　the　nature　of　the　environment　he　finds　himself　in；　by　the　personality　of　the　examiner　and　his　powers　of　suggesting；　his　purposes　and　（very　important）　by　the　patient's　purposes；　which　he　cannot　bid　〃Disappear！〃　As　for　the　results　of　treatment；　every　neurologist　meets　patients　again　and　again　who　have　been　〃psychoanalyzed〃　without　results。　Moreover；　psychoneurotic　patients　get　well　without　treatment；　as　do　all　other　classes　of　the　sick；　and　the　Christian　Scientist；　the　osteopath　and　the　chiropractic　also　have　records　of　〃cures。〃　This　is　not　the　place　to　discuss　in　further　detail　the　Freudian　ideas　（the　wish；　the　symbol；　the　jargon　of　transference；　etc）。　The　leading　follower　of　Freud；　Jung；　has　already　broken　away　from　the　parent　church；　and　there　is　an　amusing　cry　of　heresy　raised。　Soon　the　eminent　Austrian　will　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　a　half…dozen　schools　that　have　split　off　from　his　own；followers　of　Bleuler；　Jung；　Adler　and　others。　There　IS　a　subconsciousness　in　that　much　of　the　nervous　activity　of　the　organism　has　but　little　or　no　relation　to　consciousness。　There　are　mechanisms　laid　down　by　heredity　and　by　the　racial　structure　that　accomplish　great　functions　without　any　but　the　most　indirect　effect　on　consciousness　and　without　any　control　by　the　conscious　personality。　We　are　spurred　on　to　sex　life；　to　marriage；　to　the　care　of　our　children　by　instinct；　but　the　instinct　is　not　a　personality　any　more　than　the　automatic　heartbeat　is。　We　repress　a　forbidden　desire；　if　we　are　successful　and　really　overcome　the　desire　by　setting　up　new　desires　or　in　some　other　way；　the　inhibited　desire　is　not　locked　up　in　a　subterranean　limbo。　There　is　nothing　pathological　about　inhibition；　for　inhibition　is　as　normal　a　part　of　character　as　desire；　and　the　social　instinct　which　bids　us　inhibit　is　as　fundamental　as　the　sex　instinct。　Most　conflicts　are　on　a　conscious　plane；　but　most　people　will　not　admit　to　any　one　else　their　deeply　abhorrent　desires。　To　all　of　us；　or　nearly　all；　come　desires　and　temptations　that　we　would　not　acknowledge　for　the　world。　If　a　wise　examiner　succeeds　in　getting　us　to　admit　them；　it　is　very　agreeable　to　find　a　scapegoat　in　the　form　of　the　subconsciousness。　I　have　often　said　this　to　students：　if　all　our　thoughts　and　conscious　desires　could　be　exposed；　the　most　of　us　would　almost　die　of　shame。　True；　we　do　not　clearly　understand　ourselves　and　our　conflicts　and　explanation　is　often　necessary；　but　that　is　not　equivalent　to　the　subconsciousness；　it　merely　means　that　introspection　is　not　sagacious。　Nor　is　it　true；　in　my　belief；　that　dreams　are　important　psychical　events；　nor　that　the　subconsciousness　evades　a　censor　in　elaborating　them。　To　what　end　would　that　be　done？　What　would　be　the　use　of　it？　Suppose　that　Freud　and　his　school　had　never　been；　then　dreams　would　always　be　useless；　for　they　would　have　no　interpreter。　Men　have　dreamed　in　the　countless　ages　before　Freud　was　born；in　vain。　Think　how　the　poor；　misguided　subconsciousness　has　labored　for　nothing；and　how　grateful　it　should　be　to　Freud！　Dre