the foundations of personality-第20章
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ainst the uvula as it hangs from the palate without arousing the normal and very lively reflex of 〃gagging。〃 These insensitive areas； known as stigmata； played a very important role in the epidemic of witchcraft hunting of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries； when the witch was so diagnosed if she felt no pain when a needle was thrust into her。 Mankind has often enough worshiped the insane and mentally aberrant and has as often been diabolically cruel to them。 What has been stated of the paralyses is true of the insensitive areas； they correspond to an idea of a part and not to an anatomical unit。 Thus a loss of sensation will reach up to the wrist （glove type） all around； front and back； or to the elbow or the shoulder； etc。 No organically caused anaesthetic area ever does this； and so the neurologist is able； usually； to separate the two conditions。 And the anaesthesias yield as do the hysteric paralyses to a variety of agents； from prayer and persuasion to a bitter tonic or a blow。 I confess to a weird feeling in the presence of a hysteric whose arm can be thrust through and through with a needle without apparently suffering any pain； and it seems to me that this may be the explanation of the fortitude of those martyrs who have astonished and sometimes converted their persecutors by their sublime resistance to torture。 There has been described as part of hysteria the hysteric temperament。 The characteristics of this temperament are the emotional instability； the strong desire for sympathy； the effort to obtain one's desire through weakness； through the appeal to the sympathy of others； an irritable egoism never satisfied and without firm purpose。 It is true that the majority of peace…time hysterics show this peculiar temperament； but it is also true that the war…time hysterics often enough were of 〃normal〃 character； without prior evidence of weakness。 As I before mentioned； Freud became greatly interested in this group of patients and especially in the female patients； since in ordinary neurological practice 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
