The author states that the superego may be 'retroprojected' on persons in adult life, and that in this way ancient conflicts may be repeated. Many clinical observations are cited which show how new people in the environment take on the characteristics of superego images. The various attitudes of the ego to the superego are also brought out. The many clinical pictures give the impression that the superego is from the beginning antagonistic to the ego

without explaining from the infantile and childhood history how this came about. The rôle of the Oedipus complex, castration anxiety, and fear of loss of love are hardly touched upon.