Meeting of the Psychoanalytic Association of New York

DISCUSSION: Dr. Arthur Sternberg felt that in the third case the remarkable recovery had been aided not only by ferreting out the negative transference but also by the active participation of the analyst, which had helped the patient's reality testing and secondary process thinking. Dr. Gustav Bychowski similarly felt that an admirable flexibility and active participation by the psychoanalyst had greatly aided the patient. He stressed that in cases of delusion-formation prior to the development of transference, parameters must be introduced. He added that the analysis of gestures and movements can have great value, as can the analysis of nonverbal sounds. Dr. Jan Frank pointed out that all psychoanalysis is, or should be, based on classical technique, but that Freud would have no objection to the introduction of parameters. He regarded the proper use of admonition, advice, pointing out reality, etc., as belonging to standard technique. In hard-driven obsessional patients, interpretation of the negative transference can precipitate the avalanche of schizophrenic decompensation. He felt that Dr. Niederland had very skilfully avoided making such an interpretation at a time of decompensation in the third case. Dr. Sylvan Keiser stressed that the value of the paper was its encouragement to sharpen and deepen our understanding of basic principles, and that it in no way opposed innovations or improvements.

In conclusion, Dr. Niederland stated that the interpretation of the patient's fear of an aggression from the analyst, prior to the interpretation of the patient's aggression toward the analyst (and the projection thereof), should not be considered a departure from standard technique, but an 'ego interpretation' preceding an 'id interpretation'.