Some Considerations on Psychic Reality1

Perspective. One of Freud's greatest contributions to the welfare of mankind was his discovery of the hypothesis 'free association' and the way in which he tested his hypothesis. Much of Freud's genius found expression as the immediate result of his applying to the mind (by means of the tool 'free association') the law of determinism and his subsequent full acceptance of the evidence of his senses. His capacity for following whole-souledly where the facts of his immediate observation led him made possible his recognition that an idea was real, as real as was any other part of himself. Possibly therein lies his greatest object lesson for all of us.

In time of conflict we are sorely tempted to regress to positions of relative imbalance of authority and responsibility. War is the consuming reality of our day. With its constant impact upon us it may be particularly helpful for each of us to take stock in himself to learn if he is waging the most effective war, insuring the most effective peace. The present would war is recognized as total war. Each one of us is a warrior. Each one of us is also his own enemy. This self-respect makes the most efficient soldier.

We never do anything in this world unless and until we have to. With this understanding uppermost, let us review some ideas to reimpress ourselves about, and lend further dominance to, disciplined thinking. All of the observations that follow bear on our need to be constantly redressing ourselves by regularly testing our own acceptance of the idea.

This study considers the meaning of meaning, that is, the raw material of mental structure, the nature of psychic reality. In general, by considering one matter at a time, it eliminates the conventional psychic distinction set up between ourselves as the subject and the rest of the world as our objects. It keeps reminding us of the fact that 'other' people and things can exist, for us, only in so far as we can provide object presentations, 'doubles', for them