Scientific Proceedings—panel Reports—Analysis Terminable and Interminable—twenty-Five Years Later

Samuel A. Guttman outlined the aim of the panel to correlate advances over the last twenty-five years in psychoanalytic theory and technique with specific reference to some of the issues discussed by Freud in "Analysis Terminable and Interminable." The goal was not to embark on a systematic examination of this paper but rather to cover the more important points.

For systems of appreciable complexity such as the mental apparatus the essential character of the fundamental principles and basic concepts cannot be separated completely from the historical processes. What is the rightful position of this paper in the historical development of psychoanalytic theory and psychoanalytic treatment and technique? Certainly too little time has elapsed—only twenty-five years—ordinarily not very much to permit much assurance in such an attempted evaluation. However, we can permit some legitimate considerations in this area now.

This paper, representing Freud's last over-all statement and evaluation of his method, especially focuses on the range and nature of outcomes of analysis. It lends itself conveniently to panel discussion because it is divided into eight distinct sections: Length of Analysis; Date of Termination; Constitutional Strength of the Drives; Activation of Latent Conflicts; Structure of the Patient's Ego; Primary Congenital Variations in the Ego; Personality of the Analyst; and Repudiation of Femininity.

Guttman then directed the panel's attention to the following more specific issues and questions: Freud considers the determinants of the outcome of analysis to be trauma, constitutional strength of drives, and modification