The Physiology of Symbolization

Here and there attempts have been made to correlate the findings of the physiological and psychological laboratories with the discoveries of psychoanalysis. This paper is another attempt of this sort, having as its object the correlation of symbolization in dreams or otherwise with the findings in animal experimentations, by pointing out the physiological mechanics which cause a psychological entity to appear in consciousness now as this, now as that imagery. How far this is in support of the psychoanalytical theory as a whole is left to the reader to decide.

Stimulus-response psychology strives to explain behavior in terms of reflex or reflex-like mechanisms, each consisting of an afferent element, a center and an efferent element. Since it can be shown that either of these elments is in synaptic relation with more neurones than those constituting the mechanism in question, it is assumed that there are degrees of synaptic linkage affected by exercise, and that in any mechanism these linkages between the elements are so close that they form a route of least resistance. Hence the current passes in one direction only and is not switched off along other possible routes. Accordingly the specific response is the consequence of specific synaptic linkages inherent, as in the case of the unconditioned reflex, or acquired, as in the case of the conditioned reflex. But this explanation is far from being adequate; for we frequently find that when one is conditioned to respond with R to the stimulus S he responds with R also to S¹, S², S³, et cetera, almost ad infinitum. When, for instance, one is conditioned to respond with R to a triangle of a casual size he responds with R to a triangle of any size. Letters of a size unseen before are recognized for what they are and are responded to accordingly. The same melody can be played by the use of a great number of different keys, yet it is always recognized as the same melody and the response to it is the same. If exer