That we have here a phenomenon which does not exclusively limit itself to dementia præcox is already shown by the word "inspiration," which designates a psychic event appearing wherever there exists an autonomous complex. We deal here with sudden invasions of complexes into consciousness. Inspirations are not at all unusual in religious people. The modern protestant theologians have gone so far as to call it "inner experiences." "Inspirations" are an every-day occurrence in somnambulism.
Finally we have another form of obstruction, "fascination" (an expression coined by one of my female patients). Sommer described this phenomenon as "optical fixation." We observe "fascination" in association experiments even outside of dementia præcox, especially in conditions of emotional stupidity. This condition may be evoked under circumstances by an experiment or through a complex stimulated during the experiment. The patients then begin to react (at least for a time) not to the stimulus word, but they simply name objects from the surroundings. I have especially noticed this in imbeciles, in normal persons during a strong affect, in hysterics at complex-locations and in dementia præcox.
"Fascination" is distraction to the environment in order to conceal the vacuum of inner associations or the complex producing the vacuum. It is the same in principle as breaking away from an unpleasant conversation by sudden diversion to some remote banality. As a starting point any object of the environment serves. We have therefore enough evidence to enable us to place the mechanism of "fascination" on a parallel with the normal.
Experience shows that all these disturbances appear in dementia præcox about the complex and belong to the measures of defense. Here we are also obliged to discuss negativism. The prototype of negativism is "obstruction" which, in some cases, gives the impression of an intentional refusal, just as the "I don't know" of hysterics. One can just as well speak of negativism when the patients refuse to answer questions. The passive negativism readily becomes active, whereby the patients also psychically defend themselves against the examination. If we exclude these cases where the negativism has generalized
is impossible to direct it by attention." Compare also the case in Beitrag VI of Diag. Assoz. Stud.
