a-general-introduction-to-psychoanalysis-sigmund-freud

fulfills at least two of these requirements. It can be carried out much more
rapidly, indescribably more rapidly than the analytic method, and it brings the
patient neither trouble nor discomfort. In the long run it becomes
monotonous for the physician, since each case is exactly the same;
continually forbidding the existence of the most diverse symptoms under the
same ceremonial, without being able to grasp anything of their meaning or
their significance. It is second-rate work, not scientific activity, and
reminiscent of magic, conjuring and hocus-pocus; yet in the face of the
interest of the patient this cannot be considered. The third requisite, however,
was lacking. The procedure was in no way reliable. It might succeed in one
case, and fail with the next; sometimes much was accomplished, at other
times little, one knew not why. Worse than this capriciousness of the
technique was the lack of permanency of the results. After a short time, when
the patient was again heard from, the old malady had reappeared, or it had
been replaced by a new malady. We could start in again to hypnotize. At the
same time we had been warned by those who were experienced that by
frequent repetitions of hypnotism we would deprive the patient of his selfreliance
and accustom him to this therapy as though it were a narcotic.
Granted that we did occasionally succeed as well as one could wish; with
slight trouble we achieved complete and permanent results. But the
conditions for such a favorable outcome remained unknown. I have had it
happen that an aggravated condition which I had succeeded in clearing up
completely by a short hypnotic treatment returned unchanged when the
patient became angry and arbitrarily developed ill feeling against me. After a
reconciliation I was able to remove the malady anew and with even greater
thoroughness, yet when she became hostile to me a second time it returned
again. Another time a patient whom I had repeatedly helped through nervous
conditions by hypnosis, during the treatment of an especially stubborn attack,
suddenly threw her arms around my neck. This made it necessary to consider
the question, whether one wanted to or not, of the nature and source of the
suggestive authority.
So much for experience. It shows us that in renouncing direct suggestion we
have given up nothing that is not replaceable. Now let us add a few further
considerations. The practice of hypnotic therapy demands only a slight
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