Sigmund Freud and the Forsyth Case: Coincidences and Thought-Transmission in Psychoanalysis — Occult Philosophy

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Sigmund Freud and the Forsyth Case: Coincidences and Thought-Transmission in Psychoanalysis

Name: Sigmund Freud and the Forsyth Case: Coincidences and Thought-Transmission in Psychoanalysis
Price: 180.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781032159577

✍️ Maria Pierri, Adam Elgar

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4.5

(1 review)

$180.00

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

An investigation of thought-transmission and telepathy in Freud's clinical practice using recovered case notes.

This volume reconstructs a controversial period in early psychoanalysis by analyzing Freud's research into telepathy and magical coincidences. Pierri draws directly on original clinical documents, supplementary historical materials, and records from an October 1919 Secret Committee meeting. The text explores Freud's work with his daughter Anna alongside clinical contributions from contemporary analysts. By examining the Forsyth case, the book situates early psychoanalytic theory at the intersection of clinical practice, historical trauma in Vienna, and psychic research.

Key Themes

telepathy and thought transmission the Forsyth case notes transference and countertransference coincidences

Literary Context

The book sits within post-war Vienna and early twentieth-century Europe, drawing on clinical meetings in Zurich, Budapest, and Vienna. It examines historical developments surrounding Freud's 1919 Secret Committee and the world of early psychoanalytic practice.

Pierri, Maria; , Elgar, Adam

📚 all books by this author (4) →

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Carl Jung · Sigmund Freud · R.D. Laing · "The Interpretation of Dreams"

🕯️

Occult Philosophy

Praise for this book

“can be read as an engrossing detective novel of historical reconstruction as it unfolds towards its resolution, elegantly written and full of surprises, and opening up unexpected new fields of thought. Which is not to say that it actually is a novel: rather, it is real History with a capital H, thoroughly documented with a precise investigative method which revisits one of the most mysterious and controversial areas of Freudian research, that of telepathy.”

— Stefano Bolognini, past President of the IPA and the Italian Psychoanalytic Society.

🏛 Routledge 📅 2022 📖 282 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781032159577

Fun Fact

Pierri's groundbreaking work offers a rare and compelling glimpse into a largely unexamined facet of Freud's legacy. This book excels in its meticulous historical reconstruction and its willingness to confront the more esoteric dimensions of psychoanalysis. While it might disappoint those seeking a purely clinical text devoid of parapsychological inquiry, it is essential reading for anyone intrigued by the interplay of the psyche, the paranormal, and the hidden currents of history. It carves a unique niche in psychoanalytic scholarship.

📝 Description: Sigmund Freud and the Forsyth Case: Coincidences and Thought-Transmission in Psychoanalysis

Maria Pierri examines Freud's encounter with thought-transmission through newly recovered case notes from the Forsyth case, published here for the first time. The book analyzes the transference, countertransference, and uncanny coincidences present during psychoanalysis, placing these supernatural occurrences within the history of Freud's practice. Pierri brings professional expertise to the study as a psychiatrist, child neuropsychiatrist, and training analyst of the Italian Psychoanalytical Society and International Psychoanalytical Association, as well as a member of the Editorial Board of the Rivista di Psicoanalisi. The volume opens with a prologue on telepathy, superstitions, and mushrooms, before moving into four structured chapters. Chapter one focuses on psychoanalytic coincidences and unusual home visits, investigating clinical examples from Carl G. Jung, Eugenio Gaddini, José Bleger, and Joyce McDougall. Chapter two covers Forsyth's arrival in Vienna for a short analysis with Freud, detailing the post-war environment and Freud's initial introductory lectures. Chapter three details how Herr P concluded his treatment with Freud, examining this outcome alongside Freud's later introductory lectures. Chapter four details a meeting in Zurich and early training analysis in Budapest. This title is suited for scholars, academics, and practitioners of psychoanalysis, spirituality, and psychological history. Readers seeking a general overview or an informal guide to paranormal phenomena will find this dense historical study unsuitable.

📑 What's inside

Prologue: telepathy, superstitions and mushrooms
1. Coincidences of the psychoanalytic setting: a strange home visit
M de Fortgibu and his plum-pudding
The maternal in the circumstances of the setting: the psychoanalytic clock
"All things are chained, knotted, in love..."
Coincidences in analysis: sites of memory
Notable examples: From Carl G. Jung; From Eugenio Gaddini; From José Bleger; From Joyce McDougall
Telepathy, an enlightening mistake
Freud and the "Forsyth case"
2. Forsyth arrives in Vienna to undertake a seven-week analysis with Prof Freud
The decline of the West
Introduction to psycho-analysis: the first 28 lectures
Hunger in Vienna
Parcels from England
A passage to Austria
A piece of forgetfulness by Freud
3. Herr P ends his analysis with Prof Freud in a rather extraordinary way
New introductory lectures on psychoanalysis
The "Forsyth case"
Solve et coagula
The Postscript of a Preface
4. The duellists
Meeting in Zurich
The duellists
The first training analysis in Budapest
Forsyth, the pediatrician "once a friend of mine"
5. Nachträglichkeit: following the traces of a long deferral
Freud becomes a heretic: the debate about the "transmission of thought" within the committee
A mistake by Freud
The memorable Harzreise
1921, an essay in two halves: Vorbericht-preface; Nachtrag-postscript
1922, dreams and Telepathy
Perplexities, second thoughts, and experiments with Ferenczi and Anna
1925, section C: "The Occult Significance"
Still playing for time
1933, Lecture XXX, "Dream and Occultism"
The gold coin
6. The disappeared-occulted manuscript
The posthumous publication of the Vorbericht (1921) in "Psychoanalysis and Telepathy" (1941) and the disappearance of the Nachtrag
Hide and seek
Back to Freud's secret text: found in translation
7. Sigmund Freud: postscript (1921)
8. Manuscript details, slips, and errors
Conditions and details
Freud's "errors" and the occulted "dritte Fall"
Nachträglichkeit and reconstructions
9. During the Great War
Historical and personal circumstances
A coming-of-age prematurely interrupted
Freud's forced inactivity: the Metapsychology and the Introductory Lectures
Impotence and death anxiety. Towards the uncanny defeat
Ernest Jones's war
Ferenczi's kisses
10. Coincidences in Vienna: a week of fireworks in autumn 1919
The new orientation towards the West
The heart towards the East
11. The strange case of Dr Forsyth and Mr Vorsicht: the build-up
The "secret language"
The Man of Property
Setting the scene: the preconscious at work

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💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

This scholarly reconstruction demands patience from its audience, catering strictly to academics and serious students of psychoanalytic history rather than casual readers seeking narrative thrills. The meticulous attention to primary documents ensures accuracy but may alienate those expecting a more accessible or sensationalized account of Freud’s eccentricities. While the exploration of thought-transmission is intellectually stimulating for specialists in occult philosophy and early psychology, general audiences might find the dense focus on clinical context and document analysis dry. It does not suit readers looking for quick insights or definitive answers; instead, it offers a complex, nuanced puzzle that requires engagement with historical ambiguity and theoretical depth.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers deeply invested in the shadowy undercurrents of psychoanalysis will find this book indispensable. It offers a rare glimpse into Sigmund Freud’s less conventional investigations, specifically the perplexing Forsyth case. By utilizing newly unearthed primary documents, the author reconstructs an encounter where standard explanations fail, inviting you to view therapy through a lens that acknowledges the uncanny. If you are fascinated by how 'magical' coincidences function within the mind and wish to understand the interplay between conscious intent and hidden currents, this text provides a rigorous yet mysterious exploration. It is essential for those who believe that psychoanalysis holds more than just clinical data—it holds secrets of the human spirit that defy easy categorization.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

If you're drawn to the fringes of psychoanalysis, curious about Freud's explorations beyond conventional science, or fascinated by the intersection of psychology and the psychic, this book offers a singular, compelling journey into a hidden chapter of his legacy.

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

This scholarly reconstruction demands patience from its audience, catering strictly to academics and serious students of psychoanalytic history rather than casual readers seeking narrative thrills. The meticulous attention to primary documents ensures accuracy but may alienate those expecting a more accessible or sensationalized account of Freud’s eccentricities. While the exploration of thought-transmission is intellectually stimulating for specialists in occult philosophy and early psychology, general audiences might find the dense focus on clinical context and document analysis dry. It does not suit readers looking for quick insights or definitive answers; instead, it offers a complex, nuanced puzzle that requires engagement with historical ambiguity and theoretical depth.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Absolutely. It unveils previously unpublished primary documents pertaining to the Forsyth case, offering fresh insights into one of Freud's most mysterious clinical experiences.

It masterfully bridges both. While rigorously academic in its research, it fearlessly delves into Freud's personal and clinical fascination with "thought-transmission" and psychic phenomena, appealing to those interested in the occult side of psychoanalysis.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Freud's Esoteric Pursuits

This volume delves into Freud's often-overlooked fascination with telepathy and parapsychology, showcasing his personal and professional engagement with phenomena that challenged the scientific paradigms of his era. It reveals a more open-minded, inquisitive Freud than commonly portrayed.

Unearthing Hidden History

Pierri's diligent archival work brings to light previously lost case notes from the Forsyth affair, offering an unprecedented glimpse into a pivotal, yet obscure, moment in psychoanalytic history. The book is a testament to the power of scholarly detective work.

Synchronicity in the Consulting Room

Explore how "magical" coincidences and unexpected connections arise within the psychoanalytic setting. The text offers a compelling framework for understanding these occurrences, suggesting they might reveal deeper unconscious dynamics rather than mere happenstance.

📜 Historical context

This work situates itself within the rich, often contentious, history of psychoanalysis's engagement with the occult and parapsychology. It sheds light on Freud's personal inquiries into telepathy, a subject he wrestled with for decades, placing the Forsyth case firmly within a lineage of thought that sought to reconcile the empirical with the inexplicable.

📚 Glossary

Thought-Transmission
Transference/Countertransference
Psychopathology of Everyday Life

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on a time when you experienced a "magical" coincidence. How might a psychoanalytic perspective reinterpret that event?
Considering Freud's interest in telepathy, how do you delineate the boundaries between scientific inquiry and esoteric exploration in understanding the human mind?
If unconscious thought-transmission were possible, what implications would it have for human connection, therapy, or even our understanding of reality?