On a recent trip to Israel, I was browsing in the Sigmund Freud Library on the Hebrew University campus in Jerusalem. I came across some interesting documents and journal articles which reveal new information about the development of Freud’s theory, particularly regarding Jewish issues.
Freud had been criticized early in his career for proposing a universal theory of development on the basis of psychoanalysis of a limited population, namely, a few middle class, educated Viennese Jews, mostly females.
He began to differentiate between those complexes which were universal and those which were found only within the Jewish community. I would, therefore, like to present those conditions which Freud felt were essentially Jewish (“JudenPsychenSchtick), those which were essentially non-Jewish (GoeynPsychenSchtick”) and those which were universal (GansenMegillaPsychenSchtick”)
MatriLegaPhilia: The condition in which one is infatuated with one’s mother -in-law. Freud believed this to be possible in any culture; however it has never been documented in either the Jewish or Gentile populations.
Parentus Naivitus: The notion that one’s parents’ gifts or help is without strings. Freud observed this condition only in non-Jewish community but he did not rule it out as possible in the Jewish community.
Matsahphile: One who gets sexual pleasure from contact with matzah balls or a saw used to cut unduly tough matzah balls. This condition was observed only in the Jewish community, yet Freud hypothesized that it could occur in psychotically disturbed non-Jew or meshugenGoyenKopp.
A-Tsorisiah: A total lack of guilt due to the absence of a super-ego. Only two cases in the Jewish community have been documented, both were converts to Judaism which suggests that guilt is genetically transmitted in Jewish populations.
Probosica Judaica Contunua: A pathetic condition in which surgery on the nose (a nose jobe) causes uncontrollable excitation of the cells in the tip of the nose. The nose will elongate for the rest of the patient’s life and can only be controlled by years of repeated surgery. This condition has only been documented among Mediterranean peoples including Italians, Greeks, Arabs and Jews.
AutoMatrichism: Self-flagellation due to the delusion that one is demonically possessed by one’s mother-in-law. This was believed to occur in all populations.
Kvetchia Absurdia: Obsessive complaining about complainers.
Schlockomainia: The compulsive purchase of cheap, tasteless objects. This is a universal trait which knows no cultural boundaries. The most common signs of advanced stages of the chronic ailment are placement of a plastic or porcelain flamingo on the front lawn and framed artwork on black velvet.
KleptoSchlockJockia: The rare condition in which a person (usually male) compulsively steals cheap objects by placing them in his athletic supporter.
Finally, there are a few conditions which have evolved among the relatively new Israeli population
Shekelia Delusia Grandiosa: The psychotic delusion that ht e shekel is worth more than the dollar.
EggedNebbishPrang: Yielding one’s place in a bus line to someone behind one’s own position in line. While many cases have been documented in Israel, all those showing such behavior were tourists.
Electronica-Obsessia: The obsessive compulsion to purchase every electronic device on the market. This compulsion has been recently removed from the list of pathological conditions when it was found that it is a condition nearly universal in Israel , with the exceptions of Mea Shearim.
Tags:
