New-York tribune., 1921-06-19


SCIOuS. BY d. n. Lawrence. Published
by Thomas seltzer. $3.50.
~ Fl. LAWRENCE is on the side
\ " Of tho angels, as against the
devils, Of psycho-analysis, In
his new volume, Psycho-Analysis and
the Unconscious, he has lined up with
Geley in France, Adela Curtis in Eng
land and Jean Berry and j. Mackenzie
in the United States-to name Just a
few Of those whose Investigations have
inspired them to paint a prettier pic
ture OF the unconscious than Freud
and Jung have exhibited to horror
| stricken world.
with dilated hearts," he writes, eve
watched Freud disappearing into the
cavern of darkness, which is sleep and
Inconsistencies to Us Then
we waited, as men do wait, expecting
the wonder of wonders. He came back
with dreams to sell. But, sweet heaven,
what merchandise! What was there in
tie cave? Alas, that we ever looked!
Nothing but a huge Shiny serpent of
!
myriad repulsive little horrors spawned
between sex and eXcrement.
We had felt, perhaps, that we were
wrong inside, but we had never i'm
agined it SO bad"
.Whereupon Mr.. Lawrence lays aside
his rapier and takes up the broadsword
of his indictment against the modern
medicine men" When the analyst he
says, discovered that a complex was
not caused by the inhibition of some
so-called normal sex impulse, and that
it refused to sublimate or come un-
done when it was exposed and prodded,
he was face to face with a problem
which he could not solve, a moral
dilemma which was the result of max
ing conscious r desire previously un-
conscious.
The analyst is at last brought to
realize, he says, that at the root of
almost every neurosis lies some incest
craving. And if this incest craving
is not the result Of inhibition of nor
NAL sex craving, what remains, he
asks, but to accept it as part of the
normal sex manifestation
Then, with merciless logic, he pushes
his point further: Since neurosis is
the result Of the inhibition of incest
craving, and inhibition is wrong be-
cause it leads to neuroses and insanity
therefore the inhibition of incest crav-
ing is wrong. We must admit incest
as we now admit sexual marriagel In
cest marriage is even duty!
At first sight it would seem that Mr.
Lawrence was merely having fun with
the psycho-analysts when he turned
from writing the Lost Girl and Women
in Love to discuss the much discussed
topic Of the day. But he is serious in
spite of his wit; perhaps even more
serious because Of it. He makes no
profession Of being scientific, and, of
course, by that very confession lays
himself open to the scorn Of the
psycho-analysts. But it is quite evident
that he has studied che subject in all
seriousness, and, however he makes his
approach his conclusions are, for the
most part, in line with the most ad-
vanced thought Of all other scientific
investigators Of the unconscious, except
the psycho-analysts.
He has rediscovercd, with the an
clients, the first great center of the
unconscious, and located it in the solar
pleXus. He has discovered other CEN
ters whose existence he declares he
would not be allowed even to hint at
in public-just why we don't under
stand. He has rediscovered the esoteric
law of polarity within the Individual
and between individuals, for "the act
ual evolution of the individual psyche
Is the result of the interaction between
the individual and the outer universe.
|. 1t is the circuit of vital fiux
between Itself and another being or
beings, which brings about the deyel-
opment and evolution of every individ-
ual psyche and physique"
Together with the ancient-an3
and modern--philosophers he scores
the attempt of the mind, mere terml-
nal instrument, to arrogate to itself
creative power. The creative center is
IN the solar plexus, the center which,
In the fused cell of the parent nuclei,
spun upon itself like spider web the