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Many therapists find it advantageous and informative to ask the patient, during an early interview, for his first memory in life. The patient may produce a fairly accurate memory or he may give what is called a screen memory, which usually is a symbolic condensation, covering not only an event of his early life, but also many happenings after this vivid and isolated incident. If the recall is a screen memory and therefore a fantasy, it still has great clinical value. Some therapists believe that screen memories are especially difficult to analyze and even impossible to judge. I have found that the value of the memory can be enhanced if the therapist makes an inquiry about the future.
“How do you see your future?” “Look into the future. What do you see?” “Can you see yourself in the future? What are you doing? Where are you? What is your goal?”
The answer to this kind of question, which I call the screen fantasy, is somehow always connected with the first memory and helps us to discover what is hidden behind the screen memory. I believe that this memory covers an early frustration, which I call a backward fixation. The screen fantasy covers a late conflict, which I call a forward fixation. The screen memory usually denies early trauma; the screen fantasy acts it out. My experience with many patients is that their neurotic life is based on a plan dictated by