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DiscoveryoftheOedipusComplex

ThediscoveryofOedipus'complexisindicatedinahistoricletterFreud
wrotetoFliess,hisfriendandconfidant.

Ihavefound,inmyowncasetoo,[thephenomenonof]beinginlove
withmymotherandjealousofmyfather,andInowconsiderita
universaleventinearlychildhood,evenifnotsoearlyasinchildren
whohavebeenmadehysterical.

Freudaddsafewmoreimportantdetailstohisconfession:

Ifthisisso,wecanunderstandthegrippingpowerofOedipusRex,in
spiteofalltheobjectionsthatreasonraisesagainstthepresupposition
offateandwecanunderstandwhythelaterdramaoffatewas
boundtofailsomiserably.

TheGreeklegendtouchesuponanurge"whicheveryonerecognizesbecause
hesensesitsexistencewithinhimself.Everyoneintheaudiencewasoncea
buddingOedipusinfantasyandeachrecoilsinhorrorfromthedream
fulfillmentheretransplantedintoreality,withthefullquantityofrepression
whichseparateshisinfantilestatefromhispresentone."

Togetherwiththeseremarks,essentialforpsychoanalyticpracticeandtheory,
thebudsofappliedpsychoanalysisalsoemerge.FreudlinkstheOedipus
complextoHamlet.

Fleetinglythethoughtpassedthroughmyheadthatthesamething
mightbeatthebottomofHamletaswell.Iamnotthinkingof
Shakespeare'sconsciousintention,butbelieve,rather,thatarealevent
stimulatedthepoettohisrepresentation,inthathisunconscious
understoodtheunconsciousofhishero.(1)

InitsmonographofFreud'sbiography,PeterGayassertsthat"Themethod
Freudusedinhisselfanalysiswasthatoffreeassociationandthematerialhe
mainlyrelieduponwasthathisowndreamsprovided".Buthedidn'tstop
there:"[Freud]alsomadeacollectionofhismemories,ofspeakingor
spellingmistakes,slipsconcerningverseandpatients'namesandheallowed
thesecluestoleadhimfromoneideatotheother,throughthe<<usual
roundabouts>>offreeassociation."(2)

Oneofthemostbeautifulexamplesofselfanalysiscanbefoundinhisletter
toRomainRolland,entitledADisturbanceofMemoryontheAcropolis.

Thedisturbanceoccurredasfollows:Inthesummerof1904,afterprolonged
hesitation,FreudsuddenlytraveledtoAthensinthecompanyofhisbrother
Alexander.OnceupontheAcropolis,insteadoftheexpectedadmiration,he
wasenvelopedbyastrangefeelingofdoubt.Hewassurprisedthatsomething
hehadbeenlearningaboutatschoolreallyexists.Hefeltdividedintwo:one
personwhoempiricallyrealizedhisactualpresenceontheAcropolisandthe
otherthatfoundithardtobelieve,asifdenyingtherealityofthefact.

Inthementionedtext,Freudtriestoelucidatethisfeelingofstrangeness,of
unreality.HethenshowedthatthetriptoAthenswastheobjectofwish
mingledwithguilt.Thatwasadesirebecause,fromhisearlychildhoodeven,
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hehadhaddreamsoftravelingexpressinghiswishtoevadethefamily
atmosphere,thenarrowmindednessandpovertyoflivingconditionshehad
knowninhisyouth.

Ontheotherhand,therewasalsoguilt,asforFreudgoingtoAthensmeant
gettingfartherthanhisownfather,whowastoopoortotravel,touneducated
tobeinterestedintheseplaces.ToclimbtheAcropolisinFreud'smindwasto
definitelysurpasshisfather,somethingthesonwasclearlyforbiddento.Let
usresorttoFreud'sownwords:

Butherewecomeuponthesolutionofthelittleproblemofwhyitwas
thatalreadyatTriesteweinterferedwithourenjoymentofthevoyage
toAthens.Itmustbethatasenseofguiltwasattachedtothe
satisfactioninhavinggonesuchalongway:therewassomething
aboutitthatwaswrong,thatfromearliesttimeshadbeenforbidden.It
wassomethingtodowithachild'scriticismofhisfather,withthe
undervaluationwhichtooktheplaceoftheovervaluationofearlier
childhood.Itseemsasthoughtheessenceofsuccesswastohavegot
furtherthanone'sfather,andasthoughtoexcelone'sfatherwasstill
somethingforbidden.(3)

Fliess'friendshipcertainlyprovidedFreudthedialecticrelationshipthat
psychoanalyticdialogue(orrathermonologue)allows.Fliesswasthe
idealizedother,theonewhosupposedlyknewandunderstood(even
appreciated)theanalyst'sefforts.Infact,selfanalysisisofcourseonly
possiblebyprojection.

InhisletterofNovember14th1897,Freudwrote:"Icanonlyanalysemyself
withobjectivelyacquiredknowledge(asifIwereastranger)selfanalysisis
reallyimpossible,otherwisetherewouldbenoillness".

TheDifferencebetweenSelfanalysisandIntrospection

ThepracticeofintrospectionhasitsoriginsinSt.Augustus'Confessions.Itis
thusdefinedasananalysisofourmind'scontentsthataredirectlyaccessible
andethicalincharacterasitlaunchesadebateontherelationshipbetween
moralman,whichhelongstobe,andimmoralman,whichheisbybirth.

AugustindoesnotunderstanddreamsandthinksitisGodwhoisresponsible
fortheiremergence.Thereisnotracehereofanyknowledgeofthe
unconsciousmind,ofthewayitworksworks.ThisisthefieldofChristian
psychologywhichonlyassumesahorizontaldimensionofanalysis.

Selfanalysisdoesnotdealwithknownthingsanymore.Havingknownfacts
asastartingpoint,theselfanalysergoesdeepintotheworldofhis
unconsciouslifeandleavesasidetheethiccriterionforawhile.Conscious
psychicmanifestationsareconnectedtotheirunconsciousrootsandcanbe
explainedthroughthelatter.

InthisselfanalysisGodvanishesandwithhimtheguiltoftheselfanalyser.
Moreover,theinvestigationofunconsciousneedsresortingtothespecial
investigationmethodspsychoanalysishasintroduced:freeassociations,
dreamanalysis,workwithslipsandsymbols,etc.

Inshortwemaysaythatwhereasintrospectiondoesnothingelsebut
(re)integrateusintothelevelofoursocialvalues,psychoanalyticself
analysisoffersustheopportunityofaradicalchangeinourinnerandouter
beingfromtheperspectiveofareevaluationofthesesocialvalues.

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Notes:
1.October15,1897,Masson,J.M.(1985)(Ed.)Thecompletelettersof
SigmundFreudtoWilhelmFliess,18871904.Cambridge:Harvard
UniversityPress.

2.TranslationbyM.Cristea.

3.SigmundFreud:ADisturbanceofMemory...

*TranslationbyMihaelaCristea

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