ABSTRACT
In a work on the stages in the development of the sense of reality, the author attempts to explain the origin of symbolism from the impulse to represent infantile wishes as being fulfilled, by means of the child's own body. The tooth and eye symbolism would be examples of the fact that bodily organs can be represented not only by objects of the outer world, but also by other organs of the body. In all probability this is even the more primary kind of symbol-creation. Analytical experience shows us in fact that although the condition of intellectual insufficiency has to be fulfilled with the formation of real symbols as well, the chief conditions for their production are not of an intellectual, but of an affective nature. The author demonstrates this with individual examples from sexual symbolism. Children's dread, often excessive, of their parents' eyes has also, a sexual-symbolic root.
