Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis II 1921 1.djvu/161

 REPORTS 153

Freud sees in all living organisms an impulse to return to former states or conditions, given up because of disturbing external circum- stances ; this impulse is an expression of inertia of all living matter, and is apparently opposite to our wonted conception of an im- pulse as a striving towards change and development. Such organisms as have resisted these external influences are still on a low level of animal or plant life. The germ cells of the higher organisms reproduce life, and are in opposition to death of living substance. The destiny of these cells, after they have severed themselves from the primary organism, is guarded by the instincts. This contrast results in death (ego) impulses and life (sex) impulses. Freud com- pares this conception with Schopenhauer's philosophy of death as a final result or aim in life, and on the other hand, the sex impulse as "the will to live".

The development of the libido theory showed us the broad meaning of the word love or sex; also the transferring of love of object to the ego (introversion), thus making part of the ego in- stincts libidinous (narcissism). Love as expressed in sadism is destruction of the love object, and in the form of masochism, destruction of the ego ; it is sadism in which the ego becomes the object. The sadistic component may be the primary death impulse. The proof of the existence of the death impulse may be found in the fact that the dominating tendency in the psyche and in the whole nervous system, is the striving towards decreasing, stabilizing or annihilating inner tensions as expressed in the libido theory.

Freud emphasizes the speculative nature of his theories, and states that he himself does not know to what an extent he is ready to accept them as definite.

In the discussion that followed, the prominence and importance of the ego instincts in the causation of the neuroses (war and traumatic) were dwelt upon. Emphasis was laid on the introduction of a new element in dream production. It was also pointed out that this divergence from the wish-fulfilment principle in dreams in no manner detracted from the value of the latter ; but that according to Freud the wish-fulfilment did not sufficiently explain the phenomena of the dreams of the war and traumatic neurotics.

Meeting on April 26, 1Q21. Visual Imagery in relation to Libido. By Mary K. Isham.

Dr. Isham said that she had chosen Visual Imagery as a title for her paper merely as a topic upon which to focus attention for