Edmund Bergler
Encyclopedia
Edmund Bergler was an American
psychoanalyst
.
in 1937-38 and lived in New York City
. He wrote 25 psychology books along with 273 articles that were published in leading professional journals. He also had unfinished manuscripts of dozens of more titles in the possession of the Edmund and Marianne Bergler Psychiatric Foundation.
He has been referred to as "one of the few original minds among the followers of Freud." Delos Smith, science editor of United Press International
, said Bergler was "among the most prolific Freudian theoreticians after Freud himself."
Arnold M. Cooper, former Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College and a past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association, said of Bergler's work: "I have adapted my model for understanding masochism from the work of Bergler, who regarded masochism as the basic neurosis from which all other neurotic behaviors derive. As long ago as 1949 . . . he felt, and I agree, [that the mechanism of orality] is paradigmatic for the masochistic character.
Summarizing his work, Bergler said that people were heavily defended against realization of the darkest aspects of human nature, meaning the individual's emotional addiction to unresolved negative emotions. He wrote in 1958, "I can only reiterate my opinion that the superego is the real master of the personality, that psychic masochism constitutes the most dangerous countermeasure of the unconscious ego against the superego's tyranny, that psychic masochism is 'the life-blood of neurosis' and is in fact the basic neurosis. I still subscribe to my dictum, 'Man's inhumanity to man
is equaled only by man's inhumanity to himself.'"
Bergler was the most important theorist of homosexuality
in the 1950s. He was also a leading theorist on the unconscious
and on self-defeating and self-damaging behaviors. According to Kenneth Lewes (a homosexual theorist/author), "...Bergler frequently distanced himself from the central, psychoanalytical tradition, while at the same time claiming a position of importance within it. He thought of himself as a revolutionary who would transform the movement." Near the end of his life, Bergler became an embarrassment to many other analysts: "His views at conferences and symposia were reported without remark, or they were softened and their offensive edge blunted."
Bergler was noted for two things specifically, theories and treatment of homosexuality (stated above) and writer's block
- a term he coined in 1947.
et al.'s 1962 book Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study. Bieber et al. mentioned Bergler briefly, noting that like Melanie Klein
, he regarded the oral phase as the most determining factor in the development of homosexuality.
Other writers have taken an interest in Bergler. Gilles Deleuze
wrote in his 1967 book Masochism, "...we feel that Bergler's general thesis is entirely sound: the specific element of masochism is the oral mother
, the ideal of coldness, solicitude and death
, between the uterine
mother and the Oedipal
mother."
His theories have been described as 'having been premature in their emphasis on the preoedipal period and narcissism'. In his assumption that 'the preservation of infantile megalomania or infantile omnipotence (we today would say narcissism) is of prime importance in the reduction of anxiety...his formulation is not dissimilar to Kohut
's many years later'. Bergler's injunction to 'Imagine a child confronted by some refusal....Regardless of its justifications, the refusal automatically provokes fury, since it offends his sense of omnipotence' he anticipates Self psychology
in its account of Narcissistic rage and narcissistic injury.
Bergler provided an 'inclusive symptomatolgy of the gambler...outlining the six symptoms or characteristics which, taken together, describe the gambler and his neurosis'. However, although 'Bergler was a thorough, clinical researcher...[who] also tried to get his ideas across to a wider public by writing books and articles accessible to the layman...he became possessive about encroachments on what he regarded as his chosen field. He believed that he was the first man to elucidate the theory that the gambler was motivated to lose - although, of course, Freud was not alone in anticipating him in this respect'.
Bergler quotes one of his patients as complaining '"You kill every argument with this trick of referring to the unconscious"'.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
psychoanalyst
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
.
Biography
Bergler, an Austrian Jew, fled the NazisNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in 1937-38 and lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He wrote 25 psychology books along with 273 articles that were published in leading professional journals. He also had unfinished manuscripts of dozens of more titles in the possession of the Edmund and Marianne Bergler Psychiatric Foundation.
He has been referred to as "one of the few original minds among the followers of Freud." Delos Smith, science editor of United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, said Bergler was "among the most prolific Freudian theoreticians after Freud himself."
Arnold M. Cooper, former Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College and a past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association, said of Bergler's work: "I have adapted my model for understanding masochism from the work of Bergler, who regarded masochism as the basic neurosis from which all other neurotic behaviors derive. As long ago as 1949 . . . he felt, and I agree, [that the mechanism of orality] is paradigmatic for the masochistic character.
Summarizing his work, Bergler said that people were heavily defended against realization of the darkest aspects of human nature, meaning the individual's emotional addiction to unresolved negative emotions. He wrote in 1958, "I can only reiterate my opinion that the superego is the real master of the personality, that psychic masochism constitutes the most dangerous countermeasure of the unconscious ego against the superego's tyranny, that psychic masochism is 'the life-blood of neurosis' and is in fact the basic neurosis. I still subscribe to my dictum, 'Man's inhumanity to man
Man's inhumanity to man
The phrase "Man's inhumanity to man" is first documented in my balls]] poem called Man was made to mourn: A Dirge in 1784. It is possible that Burns reworded a similar quote from Samuel von Pufendorf who in 1673 wrote, "More inhumanity has been done by man himself than any other of nature's...
is equaled only by man's inhumanity to himself.'"
Bergler was the most important theorist of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in the 1950s. He was also a leading theorist on the unconscious
Unconscious mind
The unconscious mind is a term coined by the 18th century German romantic philosopher Friedrich Schelling and later introduced into English by the poet and essayist Samuel Taylor Coleridge...
and on self-defeating and self-damaging behaviors. According to Kenneth Lewes (a homosexual theorist/author), "...Bergler frequently distanced himself from the central, psychoanalytical tradition, while at the same time claiming a position of importance within it. He thought of himself as a revolutionary who would transform the movement." Near the end of his life, Bergler became an embarrassment to many other analysts: "His views at conferences and symposia were reported without remark, or they were softened and their offensive edge blunted."
Bergler was noted for two things specifically, theories and treatment of homosexuality (stated above) and writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
- a term he coined in 1947.
Influence
Bergler's 1956 book Homosexuality: Disease or Way of Life was cited in Irving BieberIrving Bieber
Irving Bieber was an American psychoanalyst, best known for his 1962 study, Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study of Male Homosexuals, which was written jointly with Harvey J. Dain, Paul R. Dince, Marvin G. Drellich, Henry G. Grand, Ralph R. Gundlach, Malvina W. Kremer, Alfred H. Rifkin, Cornelia...
et al.'s 1962 book Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study. Bieber et al. mentioned Bergler briefly, noting that like Melanie Klein
Melanie Klein
Melanie Reizes Klein was an Austrian-born British psychoanalyst who devised novel therapeutic techniques for children that had an impact on child psychology and contemporary psychoanalysis...
, he regarded the oral phase as the most determining factor in the development of homosexuality.
Other writers have taken an interest in Bergler. Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Deleuze , was a French philosopher who, from the early 1960s until his death, wrote influentially on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular works were the two volumes of Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Anti-Oedipus and A Thousand Plateaus , both co-written with Félix...
wrote in his 1967 book Masochism, "...we feel that Bergler's general thesis is entirely sound: the specific element of masochism is the oral mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
, the ideal of coldness, solicitude and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, between the uterine
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
mother and the Oedipal
Oedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
mother."
His theories have been described as 'having been premature in their emphasis on the preoedipal period and narcissism'. In his assumption that 'the preservation of infantile megalomania or infantile omnipotence (we today would say narcissism) is of prime importance in the reduction of anxiety...his formulation is not dissimilar to Kohut
Heinz Kohut
Heinz Kohut was an Austrian-born American psychoanalyst best known for his development of Self psychology, an influential school of thought within psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory which helped transform the modern practice of analytic and dynamic treatment approaches.-Early life:Kohut was born...
's many years later'. Bergler's injunction to 'Imagine a child confronted by some refusal....Regardless of its justifications, the refusal automatically provokes fury, since it offends his sense of omnipotence' he anticipates Self psychology
Self psychology
Self Psychology is a school of psychoanalytic theory and therapy created by Heinz Kohut and developed in the United States at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. Self psychology explains psychopathology as being the result of disrupted or unmet developmental needs...
in its account of Narcissistic rage and narcissistic injury.
On gambling
'Edmund Bergler, the psychoanalyst who has done the most work on the subject, argues that all gamblers, without exception, gamble because of "psychic masochism"'. Arguably, indeed, 'not until the publication of the papers of Bergler, however, was the topic given the serious exploration it required'.Bergler provided an 'inclusive symptomatolgy of the gambler...outlining the six symptoms or characteristics which, taken together, describe the gambler and his neurosis'. However, although 'Bergler was a thorough, clinical researcher...[who] also tried to get his ideas across to a wider public by writing books and articles accessible to the layman...he became possessive about encroachments on what he regarded as his chosen field. He believed that he was the first man to elucidate the theory that the gambler was motivated to lose - although, of course, Freud was not alone in anticipating him in this respect'.
Criticisms
Freud critic Max Scharnberg has given Bergler's writings as an example of what he sees as the transparent absurdity of much psychoanalytic work.Bergler quotes one of his patients as complaining '"You kill every argument with this trick of referring to the unconscious"'.