Some Considerations on Psychic Reality: John M. Dorsey. Int. J. Psa., XXIV, 1943, pp. 147–151.

This is a highly philosophical paper, not easily comprehended. The term 'psychic reality' is used with a different meaning from that by Freud, namely, to characterize the real thoughts and feelings of man, as contrasted with his conscious rationalization. Dorsey praises psychoanalysis as a method of honestly familiarizing oneself with one's real 'meanings'. He stresses the fact that objects are given to us only through the medium of our perceptions and therefore in the last analysis are also 'subjective' and 'psychic reality'. External and internal apperception are intimately interwoven with each other. 'Conscious ego growth, that is, the development of reality sense, is a process of first losing oneself and then finding oneself in one's observations.' This finding deprives one of fantasies but it opens 'the whole real world' instead, which, however, continuously remains dependent on the ego. This also holds true for all ethical views. 'In mature people, childhood selfishness (egoism) has altered to become grown-up selfishness (altruism).'

With somewhat exaggerated optimism, the author goes so far as to say, 'We are now at war to preserve our democratic form of government, because, more than any other kind of government, it observes the truth of psychic reality, the dignity of the individual'.