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[Rundbrief]1
Budapest, November 28, 1925
Dear friend,
Groddeck and his wife were in Budapest in the second and third week of November, and they laid claim to every free hour. Hence, the new delay. Groddeck, whose intimations about a possible extension of psychoanalysis to the organic sphere are gradually attracting more attention, is an intuitive spirit who is averse to purely natural-scientific research in the time-honored sense. I believe that his intercourse with me is suited to mitigate his, in a certain sense, also beneficial one-sidedness. He gave a lecture in our society2 and a public one before an audience of 2 to 300. In both one had to recognize his merits, profit much from him, and both times one could determine the line of demarcation at which he overstepped the bounds of, in our opinion, still legitimate theoretical conclusions. The discussion among our members was very lively. The medical members had to recognize in part the correctness of his main charge, that the organic-minded all too frequently neglect the personality of the patient, although almost all rejected certain exaggerations. Groddeck seemed to be more accessible to our arguments. I, personally, learned something from Groddeck, especially the art of occasionally forgetting the medicine that I have been taught. Naturally, however, I consider it unavoidably necessary occasionally also to remember what one has learned. Only from this combination can something useful for the “psychoanalysis of the organic” be expected.
In the question of the lay analysts, I am, now as ever, of the opinion that one has to deal with them with the greatest strictness in regard to granting membership, but if they comply with all the requirements, they must be accepted without qualification. I refer once again to my plan brought forth in the meeting of the Homburg Committee to found, alongside the academic plan of instruction, the pursuit of which signifies membership, a kind of middle school, which would serve the und