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Since the almost universal acceptance of the fact that an understanding of the unconscious dynamic mechanisms is necessary if one seeks to adjust the mental behavior of a personality in which the emotions have been deviated from the usual paths of expression, a number of methods have been originated and developed for the purpose of exploring these regions of the mind. Among the methods, utilized during the development of the concept of the unconscious and in a way representing stages in its progression may be mentioned: hypnotism (mesmerism, etc.), crystal gazing, automatic writing, the dream work, and the reduction to fundamental causes of unconscious mistakes in speech, writing, and other forms of expression. Several of these have been used scientifically for many years, but unfortunately the public at large has known them only as popular forms of parlor amusement. Of the above mentioned methods, those emphasized by the Freudian school of psychology have been found to yield the most practical results, and thus are the methods preferred by those experienced in psychotherapy; notwithstanding, the conclusions obtained have aroused the antagonisms and even the anathematizations of our adversaries who pride themselves on their strictly scientific attitude based on scientific methods of investigation (weight and measure methods). In fact the opponents of Freudian psychology have without adequate investigation stigmatized the concept of the unconscious as being composed of metaphysical antinomies.
Each of the methods of investigating the unconscious has its values and particular field of application, and it is a well recognized and oft emphasized fact that the dream work is the “royal road” to such a study. However, it is the purpose of this paper to describe a method which is closely allied to dream interpretation. I refer to the