The Clinical Diary of Sándor Ferenczi

251 Pages·1988·23.286 MB·English

by  Sándor Ferenczi, Judith Dupont (editor)

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Portrait ofFerencz; by Olga Dormandi
The Clinical Diary of
Sandor Ferenczi
Edited by Judith Dupont
Translated by
Michael Balintand Nicola Zarday Jackson
Harvard University Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts
and London, England · 1988
Copyright © 1985 by Payot, Paris, by arrangementwith Mark Paterson
Copyright © 1988 by NicolaJackson for the English translation
Allrights reserved
Printedin the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
This bookisprinted on acid-free paper, and its binding materials
have been chosen for strength and durability.
Library ofCongressCataloging in Publication Data
Ferenczi,Sandor, 1873-1933.
[Journalclinique (janvier-octobre 1932). English]
The clinicaldiary of SandorFerenczi/edited byJudith Dupont;
translated byMichael Balint and Nicola ZardayJackson.
p. em.
Translation of:Journal clinique (janvier-octobre 1932).
Includes bibliographies and index.
ISBN0-674-13526-1 (alk.paper)
I. Ferenczi,Sandor, 1873-1933. 2. Psychoanalysts-Hungary
Diaries. 1.Dupont,Judith. II. Title.
RC339.S2..F48A313 1988 88-16244
616.89'17'0924-dcI9 CIP
[B]
Contents
Editor's Note vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction byJudith Dupont xi
Abbreviations xxviii
The Clinical Diary of Sandor Ferenczi
I
Draft Introduction by Michael Balint 2I9
Notes for a Preface by Michael Balint 22I
Index 223
J
f)
Editor's Note
This English edition of Sandor Ferenczi's Diary draws on these three
textual sources:
I. The original manuscript in German, four-fifths of which istype
written-presumably dictated to a secretary-and the rest in Feren
czi's ownhand. It contains a numberof typographicalerrors, unusual
abbreviations, sentences with missing words, neologisms, and typo
graphicalinfelicities such as unclosedparentheses. Muchof the hand
written section is composed of cryptic notes that are difficult to de
cipher.
2. An entirely typewritten transcription by Michael Balint. Balint
was familiar with Ferenczi's handwritingand was able to reconstruct
sentences written in Ferenczi's telegraphic style. In transcribing the
Diaryhe omittedseveral paragraphs, includingtwoinwhich Ferenczi
expressed his opinion of Freud. In 1969 Balint judged their publica
tion inappropriate. It does not seem so today.
3. An English translation of the Diary by Michael Balint. This
work facilitated greatly the understanding of certain passages. Balint
also provided notes, which have been incorporated into this edition.
The translation in this edition reflects the spontaneous, unedited
quality of the original manuscript. Ferenczi's idiosyncratic use of ter
minology has been preserved, as have various types of inconsisten
cies: In the same sentence Ferenczi might use first "I," then "we" or
"one." He might refer to a particular patient sometimes in the femi
nine, sometimesin the masculine. Obviouscasesof simple mistakesin
typing have been corrected. Other inconsistencies, such as changes
from singular to plural within a sentence, remain. The handwritten
pages, often the most impenetrable parts of the Diary, are indicated
by numbers in the margin referring to their page numbers in the
original manuscript.
Except for the names of patients, words and names abbreviated in
the manuscript have been spelled out in this translation. The identity
of most of the patients mentioned in the Diary is known to us. Al
though Ferenczi sometimes used several different abbreviations in
referring to one patient, this translation follows Michael Balint's lead
and employs only one initial or set of initials for each patient.
Ferenczi also mentions by name certain patients who were also his
students. Both Clara Thompson and Elisabeth Severnare cited in the
diary. Although their identities may be apparent to the informed
reader, their initials have been altered here according to Ferenczi's
own style in the Diary.
In 1969,believingthatpublicationofhistranslationwas imminent,
Michael Balint wrote a draft of an introduction and made notes in
preparationfor apreface. These are reproducedinthis editionintheir
original form; they help to explain the long delay in publishing
Ferenczi's Diary.
J.D.
viii EDITOR'S NOTE
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitudehere to allthose who assisted me
in collecting the information needed to prepare the commentary and
notes that accompany this Diary. In particular I am indebted to
Suzanne Achache-Wiznitzer, SergeApikian (inthe fieldof the natural
sciences), Eva Brabant, Jean-Pierre Bourgeron, Pierre Dupont (on
mathematical questions), John Gedo, Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt,
lIse Grubrich-Simitis, Andre Haynal, Gisela Kadar, Pascal Le Male
fan, Claude Monod (for having researched and provided certain es
sential documents), Paul Roazen, Pierre Sabourin, Maria Torok, and
Anne Vincze.
Two works were of constant and immense value: the Freud-Jung
Correspondence, withits remarkablecomments byitseditor,William
McGuire, which helped me on innumerable occasions to confirm
certainfacts, aswell asthe indispensableFreudandHisFollowers, by
Paul Roazen.
I would also liketo thankEnid Balint for grantingmepermissionto
include in this volume the two introductory texts by Michael Balint.
J.D.
Introduction
In 1969 Michael Balint believed that the simultaneous publication of
Ferenczi's Diary and the Freud-Ferenczi correspondence was immi
nent. In fact, it would take another sixteen years for the Diary to
appear in French, and twenty for an English edition. And the corre
spondence will be issued after an additional delay, although this will
consist only of the time needed to prepare it for publication.
If Michael Balint wished the Diary and the correspondence to ap
pear simultaneously, he did so because each of the texts helps clarify
and complete the other. On reading the Diary it becomes apparent
why Ferenczi, delving deep within himself and callingeverything into
question, finally decided after long hesitation to decline the presi
dency of the International Psychoanalytic Association, a post that
Freud had strongly hoped he would assume. In their correspondence
this problem is discussed over a period of months. One also ap
preciates Ferenczi's desperate quest to obtain Freud's support in his
perilous self-exploration, a supportFreud was unable to givebecause
hewas convincedthathisfriend was on apaththatcould lead onlyto
error and illness.
The Diary provides substantial proof; if any were needed, of
Ferenczi's sound mental health. Indeed, as the final entries testify,
Ferenczi was unable to take refuge in madness, and was dying be
cause of just that: "MustI (ifIcan) create anew basisfor my person
ality, if I have to abandon as false and untrustworthy the one I have
hadup to now? Isthe choicehere one between dyingand 'rearranging
myself'-andthis at the ageoffifty-nine?" hewrites inOctober 1932.
And a bit later, on the very last pages of the Diary: "A certain
strength in mypsychological makeup seemsto persist, sothat instead
of falling ill psychically, Ican only destroy-or be destroyed-in my
organic depths."
The correspondence between Freud and Ferenczi provides us with
invaluable information regarding both the genesis of the Diary and
Ferenczi's aims in writing it.
It also enables us to understand that Freud could not follow his
friend along this particular road: in the course of his quest, Ferenczi
ends by undermining all the defenses whose protection had enabled
Freud to construct the theoretical framework of psychoanalysis and
had providedsufficientpersonalsafeguardsto allow him to continue.
Hasn't it been said that the first task of the guerrilla fighter is to stay
alive? Freud could not renounce defending himself, and Ferenczi
probably paid with his life for having wanted to relinquish his own
defenses to such an extent. In fact, in doing so he opened up for his
successors new paths whose fruitfulness becomes increasingly appar
ent as researchprogresses. But it was to takemorethanhalfa century
before Ferenczi's ideas and insights would be more or less assimilated
by the psychoanalytic community.
Inthe Freud-Ferenczicorrespondence,thefirst fairly directmention
of the Diary can be found in a letter dated 25 December 1929, in
which Ferenczi, after a period of reserve, opens his heart to Freud,
who had reproached him for his estrangement:
[Rather than focusing on the political problems within the
psychoanalytic movement], my interest is directed toward far
more important matters. Actually, my true affinity is for re
search, and, freed from all personal ambition, I have become
deeply immersed, with renewed curiosity, in the study of cases
... To summarize in the briefestpossible way, I should like you
to know the following:
I. In all cases where I penetrated deeply enough, I found un
covered the traumatic-hysterical bases of the illness.
2. Where the patient and I succeeded in this, the therapeutic
effect was far more significant. In many cases I had to recall
previously "cured" patients for further treatment.
3. The critical view that I gradually formed during this period
was that psychoanalysis deals far too one-sidedly with obsessive
neurosis and character analysis-thatis, ego psychology-while
neglectingtheorganic-hystericalbasis of the analysis.Thisresults
from overestimatingtherole of fantasy, andunderestimatingthat
of traumatic reality, in pathogenesis ...
4. The newly acquired experiences (though in essence they
refer back to the distant past) naturally also affect some particu
lar features of technique. Certain measures are far too severe and
must be tempered without completely losing sightofthe second
ary, educational aspect.
In subsequentexchanges, Freuddoes notenterinto detailed discus
sion of the propositions put forward by Ferenczi, but reaffirms once
Xli INTRODUCTION
again his lack of interest in the therapeutic aspect of psychoanalysis.
This must have appeared unacceptableto Ferenczi,who was above all
a physician and therefore primarily concerned with the therapeutic
aspect, the more so as one of the endangered patients he was having
to care for was himself.
On 17 January 1930 he wrote to Freud, his analyst:
Whathappens inthe relationship between you and me(atleastin'
me)isan entanglementofvarious conflictsofemotions and posi
tions. At first you were my revered mentor and unattainable
model, for whom I nourished the feelings of a pupil-always
somewhatmixed, aswe know. Then you became myanalyst, but
as aresult of unfortunate circumstances myanalysiscould not be
completed. Iparticularly regretted that, inthe course ofthe anal
ysis,you did not perceive in me and did not bring to abreaction
negative feelings and fantasies that were only partially trans
ferred. It is well known that no analysand-not even I, with all
the years of experience I have acquired with others-could ac
complish this without assistance. Painstaking self-analysis was
therefore required, which I subsequently undertook and carried
out quite methodically. Naturallythis was also linked to the fact
that I was able to abandon my somewhat puerile attitude and
realize that I must not depend quite so completely on your
favor-that is, that I must not overestimate my importance to
you. Also, some minor incidents in the course of our travels
together resulted in your inspiringcertain inhibitions in me,par
ticularly the severity with which you punished my obstinate
behavior over the matter of the Schreber book. I am still won
dering: Wouldn't mildness and indulgence have been more ap
propriate from the side of the person of authority?
But now Ferenczi believesthat he had been wrong in hesitating to
communicate his new ideas to Freud. He even goesS9 far as to offer
criticism, indeed advice:
I do not share, for instance, your view that the therapeutic pro
cessis negligible or unimportant, and that simply because it ap
pears lessinteresting to us we should ignore it. I,too, have often
felt"fedup" in thisrespect, but overcame thistendency, and Iam
glad to inform you that precisely in this area a whole series of
questions have now come into a new, a sharper focus, perhaps
even the problem of repression.
Ferenczi thus hoped to have reestablished his correspondence with
Freud on its former intimate footing.
INTRODUCTION XIII