ABSTRACT
Herbert Silberer's discussion on symbols was not as well received by Freud as that on the hypnagogic. In fact, probably quite telling in this regard in this second of Silberer's papers translated by Rapaport: "On Symbol-Formation" was the extensive footnoting throughout – even more extensive than in his paper on the hypnagogic. Essential symbols are the stuff of psychoanalysis on an individual level, and in a parallel manner, of entire cultures on a mythological level. Silberer then posits three more problems to explore: what is the process of symbol formation; what conditions bring it about; and what is its purpose. Silberer's contribution to an understanding of symbolism and its meaning is robust. On a societal level, it honors their 'high value', multidetermined nature, as well as their essential, evolutionary role in the development of human consciousness.
