From this fact it can also be assumed that he wished to recite this poem as a symbolic act in order to effect a discharge of his complex excitement. Another preferred realm of complex-constellation is the joke of the pun type. There are persons who possess special talent for this and among whom I know some who have very strong complexes to repress. What I mean I should like to show in a simple example which may serve as an illustration.
At a gathering there was a gentleman who made many good and bad puns. While oranges were being served he made the following pun: "O—rangierbahnhof " (shunting station). Mr. Z., who obstinately disputed the complex theory, called out: "You see, doctor, here you could again suppose that Mr. X. thinks about a journey." Mr. X. embarrassingly replied: "That is really the case; lately I thought much about travelling, but could not get away." Mr. X. thought particularly about a journey to Italy, hence the constellation through the oranges, a number of which he recently received from a friend in Italy. To be sure, at the moment of pronouncing the pun the meaning of it was totally unknown to him, for the complex constellation is, and must remain, obscure.
Dreams, too, are constructed according to the nature of the examples mentioned, that is, they are symbolic expressions of repressed complexes. In dreams we find very fine examples of symbolisms used for expression.[1] As is known, Freud finally advanced the dream investigations on a way towards progress. Let us hope that psychology will soon take cognizance of this fact. It would profit immensely by it. As for the conception of expression by means of symbolisms in the psychology of dementia præcox, Freud's "Traumdeutung" is epoch-making. In view of the importance of symbolic expression in dementia præcox it will not appear superfluous if I add another to the dream analyses reported in Contribution No. VIII of dream analyses. A friend[2] related to me the following dream:
"I saw how horses were hoisted by thick cables to indefinite heights. One of them, a powerful brown horse which was tied
