Reality

Freud first used the phrase "psychic reality," as distinguished from "external reality," in his "Project" (1895). He did not, however, anticipate at the time what the impact of the exploration of psychic reality would be for his psychological theories. In fact, the history of his "resistance" and struggle against the full recognition of the nature of psychic reality tells of a titanic struggle within himself, which he described later (1914, p. 17). After relating the path of his improbable discovery, he reflected that

after all, one had no right to despair because one has been deceived in one's expectations; one must revise those expectations. If hysterical subjects trace back their symptoms to traumas that are fictitious, then the new fact which emerges is precisely that they create such scenes in phantasy, and this psychical reality requires to be taken into account alongside practical reality [p. 17],

Jones (1953) pinpointed exactly when this "moment of truth" occurred in Freud's life. The struggle within Freud began in the spring of 1897, when Freud's self-analysis enabled him to "discover" psychic reality and at the same time childhood sexuality, the Oedipus complex, and dream interpretation. As Jones put it:

It was a turning point in his scientific career, and it tested his integrity, courage, and psychological insight to the full. Now he had to prove whether his psychological method on which he founded everything was trustworthy or not. It was at this moment that Freud rose to his full stature [p. 267].