It has always been difficult to understand how the same action accompanied by the same belief can be characterized as neurotic or psychotic in one case, and perfectly sane in another. If a present-day American were to explain in all seriousness that he must avoid moving his limbs in order not to precipitate earthquakes and typhoons, we would not hesitate to classify him as psychotic. Yet in medieval Japan, such powers were attributed to the Mikado by an entire culture, and the poor man was obliged to remain still for hours on end. If a modern farmer were to copulate outside on his fields in the belief that his action would improve the growth of his crops, his sanity would certainly be questioned. But the fertility rites of many ancient peoples consisted of this very action and were based on precisely the same belief.

It might seem easy to explain this paradox by saying