Page:Jung - The psychology of dementia praecox.djvu/176

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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DEMENTIA PRÆCOX.

patient remarked that "she was Switzerland" and I was forced to laugh, the "telephone" called out "that is going somewhat too far." During the association-test connected with the neologism "Maria Theresa," the patient was especially impeded and I could not follow her; things were really too complicated. The following colloquy took place:

Telephone: "You lead the doctor about the whole forest."

Patient: "Because it goes so far."

Telephone: "You are too smart."

At the neologism "Emperor Francis," the patient as usual began to whisper, so that I could not understand her. She was therefore required to repeat over aloud many sentences. I became somewhat nervous at this and told her impatiently to talk louder, to which she answered rather irritably. The "telephone" then said "now they will probably begin to pull each other's hair." Patient once said, emphatically, "I am the key stone, the monopoly, and Schiller's Bell," to which the "telephone" remarked: "This is so important as to cause a drop in the markets."

In these examples the "telephone" has the character of an ironical correcting spectator or censor, who is thoroughly convinced of the uselessness of the morbid machinations, and therefore mocks the patient's assertions in a rather superior tone. Such voices give the impression of a personified self-irony. Unfortunately in spite of zealous search I lack the necessary material for a closer characterization of this interesting dissociated personality. But this small material allows us at least the conjecture that besides the complexes of grandeur and injury, there exists still another complex which retains a certain normal censorship, but is prevented from reproduction by the complex of grandeur, so that no direct intercourse can be had with it. (Direct intercourse can be had with such personalities in somnambulists by means of automatic writing.)

This apparently three-fold division gives material for reflection, not only from the psychological, but also from the clinical side of dementia præcox. In our case intercourse with the outer world is controlled by the complex of grandeur. This could be quasi-accidental. We know many cases where the reproductions are controlled by the derogatory or persecutory complex and