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'Metrazol-induced convulsions may explode the diencephalon, opening up blocked pathways to the cerebral cortex from which verbal formulations and symbolic acts may be expressed, releasing at the same time repressed psychological content. Repetitions of such explosions may groove or facilitate a pathway of permanence through which aggressive and libidinal drives may proceed without excessive interference by inhibitory obstructions. The same effect has been reported in patients who have had very severe psychological explosions without metrazol, as in those who fail in suicide attempts by some violent physical means. The mechanism may be the same as that postulated for metrazol in that the psychological tension so created reaches a quantity which is sufficient to break into the inhibited pathways. Permanency of this pathway can be furthered by reconditioning, psychologically, the cortex or ego to acceptance of the psychological content and thus not only is the depression lifted but a freer, more normal personality achieved. Under this heading of anatomicophysiological theories we have speculated on two possibilities both involving a change in the dynamics between cortex (ego) and diencephalon (biological drives). Both indicate a concept of primary alteration of physiological status with concomitant change in psychological tension… For the large group of depressions metrazol is probably of great value… In depressions convulsions induced by metrazol produce a psychosomatic alteration of a condition which is probably a psychosomatic process of inhibition and regression. This treatment thus need not be considered as a promise or a threat a any single group.'