To put the matter plainly, the Freudians contend that obsessions are
symbolical representations of the repressed sexual activities and tendencies
of infantile and early childhood origin. It must be remembered that the
Freudians employ the term sexual in a very broad sense, including under it
the most indirect and distant physical, mental and moral reverbations.
conscious or "unconscious," of the relations between the sexes. The sexual
impulse is here conceived of as having incestuous, bisexual and polymorphous
perverse sexual tendencies. The word sexual is not only used as synonymous
with love, but practically all emotional surgings, all feelings, all
affectivity, all sense-cravings and bodily heavings are classed by certain
members of the Freudian school as sexual. This latter interpretation and
extension of the connotation generally accorded by us to the term sexual we
surely have no right to give it.
Clark, of New York City, is the author who has carried out the Freudian idea
to its ultimate conclusion. I refer to his series of three papers[6] in the
Medical Record, and call particular attention to his last (third) paper in
which he has fully elaborated his theory of the meaning of tics.[*]
[6] His three papers, which appeared in the Medical Record, New York, in the
issues of February 7 and 8, and March 8 1914, are entitled: (1) "Some
Observations upon the Etiology of Mental Torticollis," (2) "A Further Study
upon Mental Torticollis as a Psychoneurosis," and (3) "Remarks upon Mental
Infantilism in the Tic Neurosis." A fourth paper by Clark on tics appeared
in the Medical Record of January 30, 1915.
[*] J. Sadger has also come to similar conclusions.
Clark's conception of the meaning of tic movements and of the mental state
characteristic of ticquers must be here given. Although not denying the
basic neurotic constitution present in ticquers, Clark sums up by giving the
following definite and fully developed theory:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account