On Hysterical Reading

Here Jung introduces the concept of "hysterical misreading" (hysterisches Verlesen), a phenomenon where the act of reading involves an unconscious substitution of a word with its dialectal synonym, leaving the meaning intact but altering the form. This behavior, Jung asserts, provides critical insight into the dissociative processes characteristic of hysteria. He explores how such misreadings illuminate the autonomy of unconscious complexes, positioning this phenomenon as a microcosm of broader hysterical dynamics. Jung’s reflections extend beyond the individual case, engaging with the foundational principles of psychopathology and the structural mechanics of the psyche.

Here he examines the phenomenon of patients with hysteria who appear to "read" thoughts, emotions, or intentions beyond conscious awareness. In this study, Jung analyzed cases in which individuals seemed to exhibit an uncanny ability to infer information they had no direct means of knowing, often through highly suggestive or dramatic episodes. Rather than accepting these occurrences as supernatural or purely deceptive, Jung interpreted them as manifestations of heightened sensitivity to unconscious cues such as body language, tone of voice, and contextual clues. His work emphasized that these abilities were not mystical, but rooted in the complex interplay of the conscious and unconscious mind, particularly in individuals whose psychic boundaries were destabilized by hysteria.

Jung describes a patient who consistently substituted Swiss dialect words for their standard German equivalents, such as "Stege" for "Treppe" and "Geiß" for "Ziege" (stairs and goat, respectively). He highlights that the substituted words retained their semantic accuracy, proving that the patient understood the original text. “Wenn also ‘Stege’ reproduziert wird, so ist damit erwiesen, dass der Sinn des Wortes ‘Treppe’ aufgefasst wurde”. However, the formal substitution was strikingly systematic and devoid of typical distractions like phonetic or visual similarity, which are common in ordinary misreadings. Jung argued that such systematic deviations cannot result from simple errors but instead point to an underlying automatism in the psyche, where unconscious processes function independently of the individual’s conscious focus.

Jung's analysis went beyond observable behavior to consider the symbolic dimensions of hysterical reading. He proposed that this phenomenon reflected an unconscious effort to gain control or assert influence in situations in which the conscious self felt powerless or constrained. By framing such behaviors as psychological adaptations rather than mere anomalies, Jung demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the psyche's ability to navigate and compensate for distressing circumstances. This early exploration highlights Jung's emerging focus on the symbolic and compensatory functions of the unconscious, foreshadowing his later work on archetypes and the collective unconscious.

This updated edition features a modern, accessible translation designed to make Carl Jung's early scientific works—originally written for academic audiences—readable and engaging for contemporary readers. Complementing the translation is an illuminating Afterword by the translator, which delves into the philosophical foundations, historical context, and enduring relevance of Jung’s ideas. The Afterword not only clarifies this particular work for today’s audience but also situates it within the broader trajectory of Jung’s intellectual and clinical development. Enhanced by a detailed timeline of Jung’s life and works, along with other carefully curated supplementary materials, this edition provides rich context by embedding Jung’s theories within his personal, cultural, and historical environment. By removing dense academic references and adopting clear, straightforward language, this translation invites both newcomers and seasoned scholars to explore the origins of Jungian psychology with fresh insight and accessibility.

In 1904, Jung was still in the early stages of his career, heavily influenced by his work at the Burghölzli Psychiatric Hospital in Zurich under the mentorship of Eugen Bleuler, and his engagement with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories was beginning to deepen. During this period Jung's research and clinical work focused primarily on psychiatric conditions, and his interests were broad, including studies of schizophrenia (then known as dementia praecox), word association tests, and the psychological underpinnings of various mental disorders. The term "hysterical reading" could refer to a study or observations related to the hysterical symptoms and how they might manifest in reading behavior or comprehension in patients diagnosed with what was then called "hysteria". Hysteria was then a catch-all diagnosis for a wide range of psychological symptoms, including somatic symptoms with no apparent physical cause, dissociative states, and emotional volatility, which would later be reclassified under different diagnostic criteria as our understanding of psychology evolved.