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Thursday, April 7, 2016

F IS FOR TRAUMDEUTUNG?

“Words and magic were in the beginning one and the same thing, and even today words retain much of their magical power.”
- Sigmund Freud

Now looking much younger, Freud tapped the floor with his cane, still holding the unlit cigar in his fingers.  

I studied the man who was likewise studying me.

Freud couldn’t cure himself of the very complexes and defense mechanisms he coined. 

He claimed anxiety came from the unconscious and so to reveal and analyze led to a cure. 

But this depended on a person’s willingness to change 

and although Freud exhibited many neuroses he was unable or unwilling to cure himself. 

His terms to describe human behavior are used every day 

(passive-aggressive, repression, denial, defense mechanisms, ego, the conscious and unconscious) 

and many came from his personal experience.

"We are now at F," he said.  "What occurs to you at that?"

"Traumdeutung."

Freud closed his eyes as Mark Twain, eavesdropping though still playing poker at a distant table, began to chuckle.  

"Roland, yours is the most Byzantine mind I have ever run across."

He tapped his cane harder on the floor.  "Traumdeutung means dream interpretation and literally has nothing to do with the letter F."

I shook my head.  "But it does."

"Because of your 1899 publication of The Interpretation of Dreams, you became the Founder of a single school of thought.  

Rarely does one individual become a founder of something like that."

I nodded my head.  
"By 1902, you were hosting weekly discussions at your home in Vienna. 

These informal meetings would eventually grow to become the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society."

I nodded firmly, "So F is for you, Freud the Founder of Psychoanalysis." 

Freud muttered under his breath, and Mark Twain called out, 

"Did I just hear you use the F word, Freud, old chum?  I thought Roland was supposed to be doing the free associating?"

27 comments:

  1. Shame on you for using the F word! And in funny, original context, not less.

    Bravo.

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  2. I'm repeating myself, but love this post. Their personalities shine through so strongly, I can almost believe they really are talking to you.

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    1. Thank you so much for saying so. As I drive, I hear voices ... the voices of the fascinating characters whose quotes fill my head. Guess what my Q post will be on. :-)

      I'm glad you're enjoying your stay at Meilori's.

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  3. Well I wondered how you were going to justify that! Your originality is like a breath of fresh air. :)

    Susan A Eames from
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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    1. The ghost of Mark Twain is so much fun to write and Freud makes a perfect foil for him. Your compliment made my morning. :-)

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  4. Love that last line :) Great post. I am thoroughly enjoying visiting each day and getting to know Freud and Twain on a personal level :)

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    1. Having read volumes of the letters of both men make it easy to tap into their personalities.

      The ghost of Mark Twain is still chuckling over that last line. Freud not so much! :-)

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  5. Hahahahahhaa... Good one, Mr. Twain :D Roland, I'm impressed. You've got these two down pat. Looking forward to more!
    Guilie @ Life In Dogs

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    1. Thanks, Guille -- though the ghost of Freud is not happy with me! :-)

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  6. I think you're enjoying playing mental chess with Freud, Roland! It would be fun to study him while he studied you. Twain is comic relief in the background. Well done.

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    1. Freud is fun to write -- though I think Freud is less pleased with it! Yes, Mark Twain is enjoying himself way too much!! :-)

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  7. I love the ghost of Mark Twain! :) Really witty writing.

    Good luck with the rest of your A to Z journey!
    Sylvia van Bruggen

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    1. I was just heading out to work when I read your comment. I am going to work with a big smile on my face -- an unusual thing! :-)

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  8. I love Byzantine thinkers. They draw from great thinkers in creating their own philosophy.

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    1. I do not know how grand a philosophy I have acquired but it is definitely my own! :-)

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  9. You had me at "Traumdeutung" (Ich spreche Deutsch). Saw your link on Robin's (Your Daily Dose) blog and was intrigued enough to click on it. Ausgezeichnet! (Outstanding!) This is of of the cleverest pieces of writing I've seen in some time. P.S. I prefer Jung to Freud, but this was entertaining nonetheless. Tschüß! (Cheers!)

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    1. Tschüß! to you, too. :-)

      Robin is a sweetheart. Say HI to her for me.

      I prefer Jung, too. I am so glad you enjoyed my bit of whimsy as much as you did.

      Jung shows up in person for the J post. :-)

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  10. I've been trying to comment here all day. If I used the F word I would have said it by now. :( Anyway this is so funny. I like your humor, Roland.

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    1. Sammy doffs his bowler hat in tribute to your ladylike restraint concerning the F word!

      Thanks for the kind words. :-)

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  11. The ghost of Mark Twain has got it together. Not sure about Freud.....

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    1. You'll get less sure as the posts go along. Freud had issues! :-)

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  12. Ich Danke sehr, das habe ich genossen. Träumen, liebe ich so...

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