such examples. But the association experiment is only one side of the daily psychological life. The complex-sensitiveness can also be shown in all other psychic reactions.
Case 1. A young lady cannot bear to see the dust beaten out of her mantle. This peculiar reaction is based on the fact that she is somewhat masochistic. As a child her father frequently chastised her by spanking her a posteriori, which eventually caused sexual excitement. For this reason, to whatever even remotely resembles this form of chastisement, she is forced to react with marked rage, which rapidly changes into sexual excitement and masturbation. On saying to her once on a quite indifferent occasion, "You must obey," she went into a condition of strong sexual excitement.
Case 2. Mr. Y. falls in love with a lady who soon afterwards marries Mr. X. In spite of the fact that Mr. Y. knew Mr. X. for a long time and even had business transactions with him, he again and again forgot his name, so that on a number of occasions, when wishing to correspond with X., he was obliged to ask other people for his name.
Case 3. A young hysterical woman was suddenly assaulted by her lover during which she was especially frightened by the erected member of the seducer. She was after the incident afflicted with a stiff arm.
Case 4. A young lady while frankly relating a dream, without any apparent reason suddenly hid her face under a curtain. This striking reaction of shame was explained by the analysis of the dream which revealed a sexual wish.[1]
Case 5. Many persons commit peculiar complicated acts which at the basis mean nothing but complex-symbols. I know a young lady who when promenading wished to take along a baby carriage. The reason for this, as she blushingly admitted, was because she desired to be looked upon as married. Elderly unmarried women are wont to use dogs and cats as complex-symbols.
As the aforesaid examples show, thought and action, both in general and particular, are constantly disturbed and peculiarly distorted by a strong complex. The ego-complex is, so to say,
- ↑ For further examples of symbolic actions see Beitrag. VI ff. of the Diagnost. Assoz.-Stud.
