THE HYSTERICAL PSEUDOS PROTON ("EMMA")
Sigmund Freud (1950)
Summary:
We have found that hysterical compulsion arises from a peculiar variant of the Qi movement (symbol formation), which is possibly
a primary process, as it can be easily observed in sleep; And we have found that the driving force of this process is the defense of
the self, although it operates in ways that transcend the usual.
We lack an explanation for this, specifically, how typical consequences of primary processes can arise from a process of the self. It
is likely that certain particular psychic conditions are required in this regard.
From a clinical point of view, we know that this only happens in the sexual realm; Therefore, we may need to explain this special
psychic condition from the natural characteristics of sexuality.
Indeed, it is true that in the sexual realm there is a specific psychic configuration that could be relevant for our purpose. We will
address this configuration, which we know from experience, with an example.
Emma when she was 12 years old experienced an episode in a store where she saw two employees laughing at each other, which
led her to flee in a terrified affect. After this incident, confusing thoughts were aroused in her, such as the idea that employees
were laughing at her dress and that one of them liked her sexually. However, these thoughts do not clearly explain their compulsion
or the determinism of the symptom.
Subsequently, Emma recalls visiting a pastry chef's shop on two occasions during her childhood, where the pastry chef touched
her inappropriately. Despite the first unpleasant experience, he came back a second time before stopping visiting the store
altogether. This memory is now associated with the incident in the store, which awakens a sexual detachment that turns into
anguish.
Emma fears that the employees might repeat the attack and escapes. Two types of mental processes are intertwined, and the
pastry chef's memory occurs in a different state than in the first scene. Although the conclusion of not staying alone in the tent
was properly formed, only a fragment of the process reached her consciousness. Their conscious thinking has created false
connections to pre-existing material, showing the complexity of the mental processes underlying their compulsive behaviour.
In this case, the whole complex is represented in consciousness by a single idea, "clothed," which seems to be the most innocent.
A symbol-forming repression is observed, where the conclusion or symptom has been correctly formed without the symbol playing
an obvious role in it, which is peculiar.
Although it is common for an association to pass through unconscious links before reaching consciousness, in this case what is
remarkable is that the link that arouses interest, the attack, does not enter the consciousness, but another, such as the symbol of
the dresses.
The cause of this interpolated pathological process is sexual detachment, which is also found in consciousness. This is related to
the memory of the attack, but it is notable that it was not connected to the attack when it occurred, due to the alteration of
puberty that has allowed a different understanding of what was remembered.
This case is typical of repression in hysteria, where it is discovered that a repressed memory turns into trauma only with delayed
effect, the cause of this state being the delay of puberty compared to the rest of the individual's development.
Explanation and conclusion:
The essay addresses the subject of hysterical compulsion and its origin in a peculiar movement of Qi, which is possibly a primary
process, suggesting that it is related to the defense of the self. It highlights the need to explain how the typical effects of primary
processes can arise from an ego process, which might require certain psychic conditions, especially in the sexual realm. The
importance of understanding the specific psychic configuration in the sexual realm is mentioned to address this issue.
Then, there is the case of Emma, who experienced an episode in a store that triggered confusing thoughts, especially related to
the idea that the employees were laughing at her and that one of them liked her sexually. Later, she remembers being touched
1
Made by MatyBuda
Sigmund Freud (1950)
Summary:
We have found that hysterical compulsion arises from a peculiar variant of the Qi movement (symbol formation), which is possibly
a primary process, as it can be easily observed in sleep; And we have found that the driving force of this process is the defense of
the self, although it operates in ways that transcend the usual.
We lack an explanation for this, specifically, how typical consequences of primary processes can arise from a process of the self. It
is likely that certain particular psychic conditions are required in this regard.
From a clinical point of view, we know that this only happens in the sexual realm; Therefore, we may need to explain this special
psychic condition from the natural characteristics of sexuality.
Indeed, it is true that in the sexual realm there is a specific psychic configuration that could be relevant for our purpose. We will
address this configuration, which we know from experience, with an example.
Emma when she was 12 years old experienced an episode in a store where she saw two employees laughing at each other, which
led her to flee in a terrified affect. After this incident, confusing thoughts were aroused in her, such as the idea that employees
were laughing at her dress and that one of them liked her sexually. However, these thoughts do not clearly explain their compulsion
or the determinism of the symptom.
Subsequently, Emma recalls visiting a pastry chef's shop on two occasions during her childhood, where the pastry chef touched
her inappropriately. Despite the first unpleasant experience, he came back a second time before stopping visiting the store
altogether. This memory is now associated with the incident in the store, which awakens a sexual detachment that turns into
anguish.
Emma fears that the employees might repeat the attack and escapes. Two types of mental processes are intertwined, and the
pastry chef's memory occurs in a different state than in the first scene. Although the conclusion of not staying alone in the tent
was properly formed, only a fragment of the process reached her consciousness. Their conscious thinking has created false
connections to pre-existing material, showing the complexity of the mental processes underlying their compulsive behaviour.
In this case, the whole complex is represented in consciousness by a single idea, "clothed," which seems to be the most innocent.
A symbol-forming repression is observed, where the conclusion or symptom has been correctly formed without the symbol playing
an obvious role in it, which is peculiar.
Although it is common for an association to pass through unconscious links before reaching consciousness, in this case what is
remarkable is that the link that arouses interest, the attack, does not enter the consciousness, but another, such as the symbol of
the dresses.
The cause of this interpolated pathological process is sexual detachment, which is also found in consciousness. This is related to
the memory of the attack, but it is notable that it was not connected to the attack when it occurred, due to the alteration of
puberty that has allowed a different understanding of what was remembered.
This case is typical of repression in hysteria, where it is discovered that a repressed memory turns into trauma only with delayed
effect, the cause of this state being the delay of puberty compared to the rest of the individual's development.
Explanation and conclusion:
The essay addresses the subject of hysterical compulsion and its origin in a peculiar movement of Qi, which is possibly a primary
process, suggesting that it is related to the defense of the self. It highlights the need to explain how the typical effects of primary
processes can arise from an ego process, which might require certain psychic conditions, especially in the sexual realm. The
importance of understanding the specific psychic configuration in the sexual realm is mentioned to address this issue.
Then, there is the case of Emma, who experienced an episode in a store that triggered confusing thoughts, especially related to
the idea that the employees were laughing at her and that one of them liked her sexually. Later, she remembers being touched
1
Made by MatyBuda
