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In this article I intend to trace the usual developmental path of the superego and compare it with that of the performing artist in order to highlight the factors responsible for shaping the harsh and rigid superego often found in these individuals. In addition, I intend to point out the effects of such superego on the person's life.
The training of the performing artist is a most demanding one. It is one of the few professions where training starts early in life, that is latency age, and stays with the individual throughout his professional life. Such training requires dedication, discipline, and deprivation. The superego plays a major role in helping the person achieve the goal of becoming a first rate performing artist. It is my opinion that the development of a strong superego is of utmost importance in bringing about the discipline, in maintaining the deprivation and in suppressing the sexual drive in order to devote the required time to perfect the practice of art.
The material for the article is derived from the psychoanalytic treatment of fourteen professional musicians ranging in age from 22 to 33 years. The group included nine female and five male musicians. The instruments played consisted of six woodwind, seven string, and one voice. Therefore, the comments concerning the developmental path of the superego pertain to the musician. However, it is my impression that these findings may very well apply to other professions requiring similar rigorous and prolonged training starting in early latency.
At the beginning and at the end of treatment, each one of the fourteen patients was evaluated and scored according to the adaptive balance