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The purpose of this article is not to prove or to refute the validity of the telepathic hypothesis, but to describe a seemingly telepathic-clairvoyant dream produced by a patient during his analysis, to discuss the possible dynamics, and the roles played by both the patient and the analyst in terms of the transference-counter-transference situation.
Psychoanalysis has shown that deep in the unconscious of every human being, not excluding that of the most objective, sceptic scientist, there always exists a certain hope that somewhere, sometime the objective reality may comply with his unconscious desires and needs. This magic, omnipotent attitude can never be completely surrendered. It can be only partially, but never completely sublimated. The impulses for creative activity—be they artistic, scientific, professional or otherwise—are the constructive expressions of this sublimation of our archaic needs for omnipotence.
Scepticism also, as Devereux 3 points out, is a sublimation of these primitive magic attitudes, which must be acknoweldged to be overcome. That is why he warns the anlyst that in his attitude he should remain sceptical, even sceptical of his own scepticism. With others, he insists that self-analysis is essential when one is analyzing telepathic feats or claims.
Freud, with his typical open-mindedness, was the first to apply the psychoanalytic method to the study of the so-called “occult” phenomena. In so doing he rendered a great service to the bettering of our scientific understanding of the functioning of the human mind. He was, however, cautious (as scientists have always to be) particularly