<p>As highlighted before, whilst <a href="https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2248">I am a defender of Freudian and Neo-Freudian psychology</a>, please be aware that this covers areas of psychology <a href="https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2242">considered by some here to be pseudoscientific</a></p>
<hr>
<p>The basis of incestuous resistance in this context is described from page 70 of <em>The Theory of Psychoanalysis</em> by Carl Jung (Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Co., New York 1915) available in PDF from <a href="https://archive.org/download/theoryofpsychoan00jungiala/theoryofpsychoan00jungiala.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/download/theoryofpsychoan00jungiala/theoryofpsychoan00jungiala.pdf</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Freud has a special conception of the incest-complex which has given rise to heated controversy. He starts from the fact that the Œdipus-complex is generally unconscious, and conceives this as the result of a repression of a moral kind. It is possible that I am not expressing myself quite correctly, when I give you Freud's view in these words. At any rate, according to him the Œdipus-complex seems to be repressed, that is, seems to be removed into the unconscious by a reaction from the conscious tendencies. It almost looks as if the Œdipus-complex would develop into consciousness if the development of the child were to go on without restraint and if no cultural tendencies influenced it. Freud calls this barrier, which prevents the Œdipus-complex from ripening, the incest-barrier. He seems to believe, so far as one can gather from his work, that the incest-barrier is the result of experience, of the selective influence of reality, inasmuch as the unconscious strives without restraint, and in an immediate way, for its own satisfaction, without any consideration for others. This conception is in harmony with the conception of Schopenhauer, who says of the blind world-will that it is so egoistic that a man could slay his brother merely to grease his boots with his brother's fat. Freud considers that the psychological incest-barrier, as postulated by him, can be compared with the incest-taboo which we find among inferior races. He further believes that these prohibitions are a proof of the fact that men really desired incest, for which reason laws were framed against it even in very primitive cultural stages.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The child is seeing their father within the teacher, and with this projection of the father figure onto the teacher, the child is developing the <a href="https://www.freud.org.uk/education/resources/what-is-psychoanalysis-part-3-the-oedipus-complex/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Oedipus complex</a> (sexual desire of the child to their opposite sex parent, according to Freud). This Oedipus complex is creating an unconscious resistance to learning as the attentions toward the teacher are more of a romantic nature rather than a teacher/schoolchild nature.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T04:52:49.413Z
@ConsiderNon-TrivialCases - You are conflating the incest taboo into the concept of incestuous resistance as described by Jung. As you will see, I covered the page 71 quote you provided. The child is resising their learning and the resistance is due to sexual desires upon the teacher which are incestuous by the nature of the fact that the child projected a father figure onto their teacher. The incest barrier/taboo is part of the concept of the incest-complex but separate to the Oedipus Complex as there is no barrier within the subconscious desire.
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T05:55:44.647Z
@ConsiderNon-TrivialCases - If you reread the whole section you are referring to in your question in full you may get a more complete understanding. For example, on page 131 leading into the contextual quote you provided in your question, it says *"She began to be very much taken with her teacher, but the sentimental self-indulgence, evinced in her riotous phantasies,
played a greater part than the thought of the increased endeavors which such love ought really to have demanded of her. For this reason, her attention and her work left much to be desired"*
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T06:37:39.437Z
@Michael - The quote given in the question is a small part of the passage in the book which fully explains the concept. If the child is not learning the lessons the teacher is trying to teach, due to distractions caused by the desires the child has for their teacher, then their work and attention will, to use the expression in the book, leave much to be desired. If the child is learning what they are meant to be, then there would not be an issue.
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-21T05:28:10.603Z
2022-05-21T05:55:54.783Z
2022-05-21T05:55:54.783Z
Chris Rogers
<p>The context of the question is given below:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>As she preferred to follow the hidden presentiments of puberty rather than her duties towards the school and her teacher, she allowed her libido to fall on the little boy, from whom, as we saw, she awaited some mysterious advantages. Even if analysis had demonstrated it as a fact that <strong>she had had incestuous resistances against her teacher on account of the transference of the father-image</strong>, those resistances would only have been secondary phantasies, that had become inflated.</p>
<p>-THE ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSFERENCE, page 132, The Theory of Psychoanalysis, By C. G. JUNG (NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASE MONOGRAPH SERIES, No. 19, Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Co., New York, 1915).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I am trying to get a clear idea about why or how this &quot;incestuous resistances against her teacher&quot; is created, it is not clear to me, though the author added&quot; on account of the transference of the father-image&quot;, so what if the transference of the father-image happens? I would like to understand that a bit more explicitly/elaborately (<strong>based on what is written on the book</strong>).</p>
<p><strong>My interpretation:</strong></p>
<p>&quot;Incestuous resistances&quot; is caused to resist incestuous fantasy/thinking. Since incest is bad, any person who brings the idea of incest in patient's mind, will be/is resisted by the patient as incest is not accepted socially</p>
<blockquote>
<p>...It almost looks as if the Œdipus-complex would develop into consciousness if <strong>the development of the child were to go on without restraint and if no cultural tendencies influenced it</strong>. ...that the incest-barrier is <strong>the result of experience, of the selective influence of reality,</strong> (Page 71)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>thus though patient is thinking about incest, at the same time due to the possibility of becoming social-outclass, the person associated with incest intimidates the patient, thus &quot;incestuous resistances against&quot; a person is created.</p>
<p>Is this interpretation correct? If not, please do make it right, thanks.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-17T13:48:32.480Z
What makes you think that social stigma or intimidation might be important?
Jiminy Cricket.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-12T20:02:31.040Z
@JiminyCricket. "...It almost looks as if the Edipus-complex would
develop into consciousness if the development of the child were
to go on without restraint and if no cultural tendencies influenced
it. ...that the incest-barrier is the result
of experience, of the selective influence of reality,...." page 71.
Consider Non-Trivial Cases
<sexuality><psychoanalysis><jung><freud>
What is Incestuous Resistances?
Consider Non-Trivial Cases
# What is Incestuous Resistances?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-17)

The context of the question is given below:

> As she preferred to follow the hidden presentiments of puberty rather than her duties towards the school and her teacher, she allowed her libido to fall on the little boy, from whom, as we saw, she awaited some mysterious advantages. Even if analysis had demonstrated it as a fact that **she had had incestuous resistances against her teacher on account of the transference of the father-image**, those resistances would only have been secondary phantasies, that had become inflated.
>
> -THE ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSFERENCE, page 132, The Theory of Psychoanalysis, By C. G. JUNG (NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASE MONOGRAPH SERIES, No. 19, Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Co., New York, 1915).

I am trying to get a clear idea about why or how this "incestuous resistances against her teacher" is created, it is not clear to me, though the author added" on account of the transference of the father-image", so what if the transference of the father-image happens? I would like to understand that a bit more explicitly/elaborately (**based on what is written on the book**).

**My interpretation:**

"Incestuous resistances" is caused to resist incestuous fantasy/thinking. Since incest is bad, any person who brings the idea of incest in patient's mind, will be/is resisted by the patient as incest is not accepted socially

> ...It almost looks as if the Œdipus-complex would develop into consciousness if **the development of the child were to go on without restraint and if no cultural tendencies influenced it**. ...that the incest-barrier is **the result of experience, of the selective influence of reality,** (Page 71)

thus though patient is thinking about incest, at the same time due to the possibility of becoming social-outclass, the person associated with incest intimidates the patient, thus "incestuous resistances against" a person is created.

Is this interpretation correct? If not, please do make it right, thanks.

**Tags:** sexuality, psychoanalysis, jung, freud

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What makes you think that social stigma or intimidation might be important?  
> **username_0**: @JiminyCricket. "...It almost looks as if the Edipus-complex would develop into consciousness if the development of the child were to go on without restraint and if no cultural tendencies influenced it. ...that the incest-barrier is the result of experience, of the selective influence of reality,...." page 71.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-05-21. Score: 3

As highlighted before, whilst [I am a defender of Freudian and Neo-Freudian psychology](https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2248), please be aware that this covers areas of psychology [considered by some here to be pseudoscientific](https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2242)

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The basis of incestuous resistance in this context is described from page 70 of *The Theory of Psychoanalysis* by Carl Jung (Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Co., New York 1915) available in PDF from <https://archive.org/download/theoryofpsychoan00jungiala/theoryofpsychoan00jungiala.pdf>

> Freud has a special conception of the incest-complex which has given rise to heated controversy. He starts from the fact that the Œdipus-complex is generally unconscious, and conceives this as the result of a repression of a moral kind. It is possible that I am not expressing myself quite correctly, when I give you Freud's view in these words. At any rate, according to him the Œdipus-complex seems to be repressed, that is, seems to be removed into the unconscious by a reaction from the conscious tendencies. It almost looks as if the Œdipus-complex would develop into consciousness if the development of the child were to go on without restraint and if no cultural tendencies influenced it. Freud calls this barrier, which prevents the Œdipus-complex from ripening, the incest-barrier. He seems to believe, so far as one can gather from his work, that the incest-barrier is the result of experience, of the selective influence of reality, inasmuch as the unconscious strives without restraint, and in an immediate way, for its own satisfaction, without any consideration for others. This conception is in harmony with the conception of Schopenhauer, who says of the blind world-will that it is so egoistic that a man could slay his brother merely to grease his boots with his brother's fat. Freud considers that the psychological incest-barrier, as postulated by him, can be compared with the incest-taboo which we find among inferior races. He further believes that these prohibitions are a proof of the fact that men really desired incest, for which reason laws were framed against it even in very primitive cultural stages.

The child is seeing their father within the teacher, and with this projection of the father figure onto the teacher, the child is developing the [Oedipus complex](https://www.freud.org.uk/education/resources/what-is-psychoanalysis-part-3-the-oedipus-complex/) (sexual desire of the child to their opposite sex parent, according to Freud). This Oedipus complex is creating an unconscious resistance to learning as the attentions toward the teacher are more of a romantic nature rather than a teacher/schoolchild nature.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: @ConsiderNon-TrivialCases - You are conflating the incest taboo into the concept of incestuous resistance as described by Jung. As you will see, I covered the page 71 quote you provided. The child is resising their learning and the resistance is due to sexual desires upon the teacher which are incestuous by the nature of the fact that the child projected a father figure onto their teacher. The incest barrier/taboo is part of the concept of the incest-complex but separate to the Oedipus Complex as there is no barrier within the subconscious desire.  
> **username_2**: @ConsiderNon-TrivialCases - If you reread the whole section you are referring to in your question in full you may get a more complete understanding. For example, on page 131 leading into the contextual quote you provided in your question, it says *"She began to be very much taken with her teacher, but the sentimental self-indulgence, evinced in her riotous phantasies, played a greater part than the thought of the increased endeavors which such love ought really to have demanded of her. For this reason, her attention and her work left much to be desired"*  
> **username_2**: @Michael - The quote given in the question is a small part of the passage in the book which fully explains the concept. If the child is not learning the lessons the teacher is trying to teach, due to distractions caused by the desires the child has for their teacher, then their work and attention will, to use the expression in the book, leave much to be desired. If the child is learning what they are meant to be, then there would not be an issue.  

---

