Russian Psycho-Analytical Society

January 29, 1925. Dr. B. D. Friedmann: The science of character and psycho-analysis. The theory of character was assumed to be based on constant characteristics, which do indeed vary in individuals but remain constant for each character-type and operate as determining factors. The speaker gave a critical survey of the theories of character put forward by Kretschmar and Ewald and of the psycho-analytical conception. Character develops on the basis of the instincts; the repression of particular instincts results in a malformation of character.

February 19, 1925. Business meeting.

March 21, 1925. Professor G. A. Charasow (guest of the Society): Pushkin's works in the light of psycho-analysis. The speaker analysed several of Pushkin's works and showed that there were certain parallels between the social motives in Pushkin's writings and his mental attitude.

March 26, 1925. Al. R. Luria: Affect as an unabreacted reaction. Human behaviour is an equilibrium attained by the mechanism of reaction. When certain reactions which are important for the individual remain inhibited and 'unabreacted', an affect arises which manifests itself in a radiating excitation. The mechanism of the affect appears in the so-called 'parabiotic-inhibition' (N. Wedenski, 1902), i.e. an inhibition of the motor spheres of the cortex, resulting from over-excitation and producing compensatory excitation of the deeper, vegetative centres. The following are affects of this sort: (1) anxiety in consequence of sexual inhibition (Freud); (2) 'affective' reactions, the so-called 'explosion' in Pawlow's experiments with dogs; (3) the experiments of Dr. Sokoljanski (Charkow) on blind deaf-mutes; (4) the speaker's experiments with regard to affective states in human beings.

March 28, 1925. Professor G. Charasow (guest of the Society): Methodological notes on the psycho-analysis of art. In the speaker's opinion, every work of art should be regarded as a dream of the