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The authors describe the hypnoanalytic treatment of a patient with neurasthenic, hysterical and depressive features. They found that the use of sodium pentothal did not improve the hypnotizability of the patient. At the beginning of treatment, free association while under hypnosis was found to be the most fruitful technique. Since this patient complained of frequent disturbing dreams, the analysis of dreams was the most important part of the therapy. The authors worked with her spontaneous dreams and also induced dreams by suggestion when she seemed to be in a state of resistance or when a clearer statement of the material was desired. In addition to free association to dreams, the therapists attempted to force the recall of forgotten elements and insisted upon clearer details. Sometimes when a dream could not be successfully worked out, it was suggested that she have an equivalent dream the next night which would clarify the earlier one.
Toward the end of the treatment, hypnotic regression techniques played a significant rôle. This was accomplished in two ways: first, she was asked to reproduce the initial appearance of her symptom, and secondly, she was asked to relive a time at which ideas now repressed were present consciously in their original form.
The authors could explore specific trends by choosing an episode in the history which seemed closest to the repressed content. The patient could