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Psychiatry and Surrealism

 ARTICLE  in  PSYCHIATRIC BULLETIN · APRIL 1986

DOI: 10.1192/pb.10.4.80

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10.1192/pb.10.4.80Access the most recent version at DOI:1986, 10:80-81.Psychiatric Bulletin

Patrick BrackenPsychiatry and Surrealism

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8 B UL LE TIN O F T HE R OY AL C OL LE GE O F P SY CH IA TR IS TS V OL 1 A PR IL 1 98 6

 sych ia try and urrealism

P A T R IC KB R A C K E N ,e n io r H o u se O f fi c er i n P s yc h ia tr y , C o r k R e g io n al H o s pi ta l, W i l to n , C o r k

A r ec en t e di ti on o f t he B ull eti n c o nt ai ne d a l et te r1 w hi ch

w as o rig in al ly p ub lis he d in L a R ev ol ut io n S ur re ali st e 6 0

years ago. T he letter w as probably w ritten by A ndrà ©

B re to n a nd w as b as ic al ly a n a tt ac k o n p sy ch ia tr y a s th en

practised in France and in particular on the process of

i nv ol un ta ry a dm i ss io n. T h e l et te r a pp ea re d i n t he B u ll et in

u nd er the title A n H isto rica l V ig ne tte : S urrea lism an d

A nti -P sy ch ia tr y . W h il e th ere c an b e li tt le d ou bt t ha t t he

s ur re al is ts w e re a nt ag on is ti c t o p sy ch ia tr y I w o ul d l ik e t o

a rg ue th at a g re at d ea l o f t he ir w or k is o f p ote nti al i nte re st

t o p sy ch ia tr is ts . T h e s ur re al is t m o ve m en t w a s o pp os ed t o

a ny f or m o f r at io na li sm . I t w a s o p p os ed t o a ny th in g w h ic h

could possibly lim it the im agination and this w as the

s ou rc e o f i ts c on fl ic t w it h p sy ch ia tr y. B u t s u rr ea li st a rt a nd

l it er at ur e w a s e ss en ti al ly a n e xp lo ra ti on o f t he b iz ar re , t he

irrational and the unconscious and these are subjects

w h ic h a re , o f n ec es si ty , o f i m po rt an ce t o t he p sy ch ia tr is t

a n d t h e p s y c ho t h er a p is t .

A nd rà ©B re to n, w ho w as to b e t he m ai n th eo re ti ci an o f

s ur re al is m , w a s h im s el f t ra in in g t o b e a p sy ch ia tr is t a t t he

e nd o f th e first W o rld W ar. W hile w ork in g at th e n eu ro

l og ic al c en tre i n N an te s in 1 91 6 h e b ec am e f am ili ar w ith

Freud s theories and had occasion to practise psycho

therapy on the w ounded in the hospital. It w as here too

that he m et the poet Jacques V ache w ho w as a patient at

t ha t t im e . V a ch e i nt ro du ce d B r et on t o t he v ar io us c on te m

p or ar y m ov em en ts in p oe tr y a nd h ad a h ug e i nfl ue nc e o n

h is in te llec tua l d eve lo pm en t. B y 19 19 , w hile still pre

o ccu pie d w ith F reu d, B re to n w as be gin ning to turn h is

i nt er es ts f ro m m e di ci ne t o l it er at ur e, a nd p sy ch oa na ly si s

w as t o p ro vid e h im w ith a c on ve nie nt b ri dg e b etw ee n th e

scientific attitude of m edicine and the introspective

a pp ro ac h o f t h e p oe t. In de ed F re ud w as to g ra nt B re to n a n

i nt er vi ew , i n 1 92 1, a t t he p oe t s r eq ue st . F re ud w a s l at er t o

c on fe ss th at it w as n ot a t all clea r to h im w ha t su rrea lism

w as about. Perhaps I am not m ade to understand it , he

said, for I am so far rem oved from art .2 In spite of this

a pp aren t lac k o f in teres t o n F re ud s b eh alf, su rrea lism

b eg an t o d ev el op a rt is ti c a nd p oe ti c t ec hn iq ue s w h ic h w e re

s im i la r t o t he t he r ap e ut ic p r oc e du r es o f p s yc h oa n al ys is .

T he s urr ea lis ts b eg an t o e xp lo re th ei r d re am s a nd u se d

t he ir d re am - im a ge s i n t he ir p oe tr y a nd p ai nt in g. B re to n s

b oo k L es V as es C om m un ic an ts , w hic h w as d ed ic ate d t o

Freud, w as a statem ent of the surrealist approach to

d re am s. H e n ot ed t he s am e ty pe o f d is pl ac em en t a nd c on

d en sa ti on o cc ur ri ng i n p oe ti c i m ag es a s F re ud h ad n ot ed i n

d re am s . H o w ev er w h il e p sy ch oa na ly si s u se d d re am s i n t he

p ro ce ss o f i nt er pr et at io n, s ur re al is m w a s t o u se d re am s f or

c re at iv e p ur po se s. I n t he F ir st M a ni fe st o o f S ur re al is m o ne

f in ds t he f am o us l in es I b el ie ve in t he f utu re r es ol uti on o f

t he se t wo s ta te s, d re am a nd r ea li ty , w h ic h a re s ee m in gl y s o

c on tr ad ic to ry , i nt o a k in d o f a bs ol ut e r ea li ty , a s ur re al it y,

if o ne m ay s o s pe ak .3 F or t he s ur re ali st s o ur e xp er ie nc es

w h il e a sl ee p h av e a s im i la r, i f n ot g re at er , s ig ni fi ca nc e a s

o ur e xp er ie nc es w h il e f ul ly a w ak e a nd c on ci ou s. T h ei r a im

in u sin g d re am -im ag es w as to i nfl at e w ak in g re al ity w it h

so me o f th e irratio nality a nd em otion c om m on ly fo un d

in dream s. W hile this can in som e w ays be seen as the

o pp os it e o f p sy ch ot he ra py , w h ic h u su al ly a im s t o r ep la ce

i d- dr iv en b eh av io ur b y r at io na l c on si de ra ti on s u nd er e go

c on tro l, B re to n d oes im ply a th era peu tic ro le fo r th is

f o rm o f a rt is ti c p r ac ti c e i n t h e S e co n d S u rr ea li st M a n if e st o

w he n h e s ta te d tha t a p ers on , en do wed w ith an y artisticg if t, c an r at he r t ha n t ra ns fo rm h is d re am s i nt o s ym p to m s,

t ra ns fo rm t he m i nt o a rt is ti c c re at io ns . T h us , h e c an e sc ap e

t he f at e o f n eu ro si s a nd , t hr ou gh t hi s d et ou r, m a ke c on ta ct

w i t h r e a li t y .

A n ot he r p ra ct ic e o f s ur re al is m w h ic h w a s i nf lu en ce d b y

p sy ch oa na ly sis w as th at o f a uto ma tic w riting . T his w as

v e ry s im i la r t o f re e a s s o ci a ti o n a n d i n vo lv e d t h e p o et t ry in g

t o s hu t o ut a ll o ut si de d is tr ac ti on s a nd p ro du ci ng a s tr ea m

o f w ord s an d im ag es b y th e fre e p la y o f ass oc ia tio n, no t

u nd er c on sc io us c on tr ol . T h es e p ro du ct io ns w o ul d l at er b e

u se d a s p oe m s t he m se lv es o r e ls e i nc or po ra te d i nt o l ar ge r

poems.

A t hi rd f or m o f p sy ch oa na ly ti c e xp er im e nt at io n w a s t he

v ol un ta ry s im ul at io n o f s ta te s o f m en ta l a bn or ma li ty . In

1 9 30 B r e to n p u bl is h ed T h e I m m a cu la te C o n ce p ti on w h i ch

w a s a s e ri es o f a tt em p t s a t s u ch s im u l at io n . E m i l K r a e pe li n s

 ectures On linical Psychiatry was an important

c la ss if ic at or y s ou rc e. I n t hi s w o rk B r et on e xp lo re d t he

re la tio ns hip b etw een p oe tic c rea tiv ity a nd th e v ario us

f or m s o f p sy ch op at ho lo gy . T h e e xp er im e nt w a s r ep or te d

s y m pa th e ti ca ll y i n A n n al es M Ã © d i co -P s yc h ol og i qu e sb y

several psychiatrists including Jacques L acan.6 T he

s urre alis t pa inter S alva do r D ali w as p erh ap s the m ost

flam boyant in the use of this technique. D ali w as also

g re atly in flu en ced b y F reu d a nd m an y o f h is p ainting s

co nta in im ag es w hich ca n b e e xp lo re d an d in te rp reted

along analytic lines. D ali also m et Freud and, unlike

B r et on , h is a dm i ra ti on s ee m s t o h av e b ee n r ec ip ro ca te d t o

s om e e xt en t. A ft er t he ir m ee ti ng F re ud w ro te t o a f rie nd I

o w e y o u a t ha nk s f or b ri ng in g y es te rd ay s v is it or . F or u nt il

n ow , I h av e b een in clin ed to reg ard th e su rre alists ... a s

co mp lete fo ols . T hat y ou ng S pa niard , w ith his ca nd id ,

f an ati ca l e ye s a nd h is u nd en ia bl e t ec hn ic al m as te ry h as

ch an ge d m y estim ate . It w ou ld in dee d b e in tere stin g to

investigate analytically how he cam e to create that

p i ct u re .. . .7

In th e m id -th irties D ali d ev elop ed w ha t h e c alle d th e

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BULLET IN OF THE ROYAL COLLEGEOF PSYCHIATR ISTS , VOL 1 0, APRIL 1 98 6

81

Paranoiac-C ritical M ethod. H is central idea w as that

p ar an oi a is e ss en ti al ly a m en ta l m ec ha ni sm whi ch c an b e

used by the artist in a controlled w ay to create artistic

im ag es . D al i u se d th e te rm 'p ar an oi a' in th e b ro ad s en se o f

a 'de lu s ion o f in te rpre ta tion' . The no tion o f the 'pe r secut ion

c om ple x' w as no t e sse ntial to th e d efin itio n. F or him the

p ar anoid s ta te c ou ld b e i nduc ed volun ta ri ly a nd involved

th e su bje ct p erc eiv in g im age s, id eas o r ev ents as b eing

c au sa lly co nn ec te d or a s b ein g all related to o ne ce ntral

i de a. Th es e p er ce pt io ns a re i nt er na ll y c oh er en t f or t he s ub

je ct o f th e d elu si on b ut w ith ou t m ea ni ng f or a n o bs erv er .

P ara noia c-critica l a ctiv ity is a 'sp on ta ne ou s m eth od o f

i rr at io na l k now le dg e b as ed upon the i nt er pr et iv e- cr it ic al

a ss oc ia tio n o f d el us io na l p he nome na '.8 Thi s 'ir ra ti on al

k now le dg e' c ou ld b e made ' co nc re te ' b y i ts i nc or po ra ti on

in p ain tin gs. E xam ple s o f th is in clu de th e m an y im ag es

w ith a double configuration w hich are found in D ali's

paintings.

Th es e a re only some o f t he t hemes common to sur re al ism

a nd p sy ch oa na ly sis a nd p sy ch ia tr y. F re ud was b y fa r th e

g rea tes t in te llec tua l in fluence on the su rrea li st movemen t.

Developments in psychoanalyt ic technique were mirro red

by d ev el opmen ts i n s ur re al is t a rt is ti c t ec hn iq ue s. I n t he ir

productions one can often determ ine the influence of

a nalytic an d p sy chia tric c onc ep ts a nd c la ssific atio ns.

Wh il e s ur re al ism has n ev er h ad a g re at i nf lu en ce on the a rt

and literature of these islands, it w ould be difficult to

q ua nti fy it s imp ac t o n c on tin en ta l a nd Amer ic an c ul tu re .

P sychoanalys is has p layed an inc reasing ly impor tan t ro le in

F rench psych ia try s ince 1968 .A reexamina tion o f su rrea li st

concepts has also occurred. It would be a pity if psy

chiatrists in the U K failed to appreciate the w ealth of

'p sy cho lo gic al' intere st offe re d b y su rrea list art to th e

interested observer .

REFERENCES

'LA REVOLUTIONURRÉALISTE1984) An h is to ri ca l v ig ne tt e: s ur

r ea li sm and ant i- ps ychi at ry . Bu ll et in o f t he Roya l Co ll eg e o f

Psychiatrists 8 175

'BALAKIAN,A . ( 1972 ) Su rr ea li sm : Th e Road l o t he Ab so lu te . Page

131.London: Unwin Books .

3BRETON,. (1969) Man ifestoes o f Surrea li sm. Page 14 .Un iversi ty

o f Michigan Pres s .

* ( 1969) M anifestoes of S urrealism . P age 160. U nive rsity of

Michigan Press .

 ADESD . (1982 )Da l i. P age 121 .London : Th ames & Hudson .

'BRETON ,A . ( 19 78 ) Wh at is S ur re al ism? P ag e 4 9. L on do n: P iu lo

Press.

7ADES,D . ( 1982 )Da l i. P age 82. London : Thames & Hudson .

  ( 1 982) Da li . P age 126 .London : Th ames & Hudson .

T he P rem en stru al S yn dro me

GWYNETH. SAMPSON,iddlewoodH ospital, Sheffield

A c on fe ren ce o n th e pre me ns tru al sy nd rome (PMS ) w as

h el d i n S ep tembe r 1984 in Phi la de lp hi a, USA , j oi nt ly s up

por te d by the E th ic s a nd Va lu es i n S ci en ce and Te chno lo gy

(EVIST) S ec ti on o f t he Na ti on al S ci en ce Found at io n, a nd

b y a g ra nt fr om th e Nati on al E nd owmen t f or th e Human i

t ie s (USA) . Twen ty -two int er na ti on al r es ea rc h wo rk er s i n

t he a re a o f PMS met f or a w ee k's c lo se d wor ks ho p d is cu ss

ing the sc ien ti fi c, l ega land e th ica l i ssues rai sed by the p res

ent attention being given to the syndrom e. PM S is now

popular in the U SA , w ith m any private clinics and pro

g rammes b ei ng d ev el op ed . T en o f t he twe nt y- tw o in vi te d

pa rt ic ipants were f rom med ic ine (sixo f these were psych ia

t ri st s, two g en er al p ra ct it io ne rs a nd fou r g yn ae co lo gi st s) ;

the rema inde r were socio log is ts , an th ropolog ist s, l awyers ,

phys io log is ts , ph ilosophe rs , behav iou ra l gene tici st s, p sy

chologists , socia l workers , cr iminologists and bioethic ists—

a n i nd ic ato r o f th e d iv er si ty o f th e e ff ec ts o f a nd re se ar ch

in to p rem en strua l sy nd rom e. T he re w ere th re e UK. p ar

t ic ip an ts †”a g en er al p ra ct it io ne r, a g yn ae co lo gi st , a nd a

p sy ch ia tr is t. A s th e UK p sy ch ia tr is t I f elt th at two in p ar

t ic ul ar o f t he c on census opini on s r ea ch ed by such a d iv er se

g ro up would b e o f i nt er es t t o r ea de rs o f t he Bu ll et in .

The subgroup from those w orkers involved w ith Social

S ci en ce R es ea rc h a nd P ub lic P oli cy r ep or te d:

The men str ua l c yc le i s a n orma l e ve nt in th e l iv es o f mos t w omen o f

r ep ro du ct iv e a ge . I t d o es n ot d is ru pt t he ir b eh av io ur a nd d oe s n ot

d is ru pt t he ir l iv es .A smal l p er cent ag e o f women exp er ienc e r ecu r

r in g me ns tr ua l- re la te d p ro blem s, a nd s ome o f th es e w omen f in d

tha t those p rob lems serious ly af fec t thei r l ives. Despi te cases c l aim

in g a n a ss oc ia ti on b etw ee n v io le nt a cts a nd th e me ns tr ua l c yc le ,

th er e a re n o s tu di es c on fi rm in g t his . I t i s a v io la ti on o f t he d ig ni ty

of all wom en to perpetuate stereotypes about the effect of

menst rua tion on behav iou r.

Rega rd le ss o f a et io lo gy , t he expe ri en ce o f cyc li c s ymp toms i s an

im porta nt and som etim es a serious one . W e need to rec ognise

women 's exp er ienc es o f t he se r ecu rr in g s ymp toms and not d ism is s

t hem as f igmen ts o f t he ir imag in at io n. A t t he s ame t ime , we n eed t o

d is tin gu ish th ese p ro blems fro m o th er p ro blems th at h av e b ee n

mist aken ly ca ll ed PMS.

U nf ortu na te ly , th e n atu re o f th e p he nome no n c alle d PMS r e

m ain s ill-d efin ed . V ario us a sp ec ts o f th e m en str ua l c yc le n ee d

fur th er i nt er di sc ip li na ry i nv es ti ga ti on . P sy cho lo gi ca l r es ea rch

s hows c le ar ly th at u si ng s el f- re po rt s r es ul ts i n b ia se s o f v ar io us

so rt s. Soc ia l and cu ltu ra l factors in fluencewomen 's repor ted exper i

ences a nd m em ories of them . T his c onclusion is show n by the

r es ea rc h i nd ic at in g th at w omen' s r ep or te d e xp er ie nc es v ar y a s a