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Otto RankAustrian psychologist, famous psychoanalyst, who first suggested that the causes of neurosis are psychological trauma
Date of Birth: 22.04.1884
Country:  Austria |
Content:
- Biography of Otto Rank
- Contributions to Psychoanalysis
- Editorship and Doctoral Dissertation
- Development of Psychoanalytic Method
- Later Works and Death
Biography of Otto Rank
Early Life and EducationOtto Rank was born on April 22, 1884, in Vienna, Austria. He was heavily influenced by the works of Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud's early works.
Contributions to Psychoanalysis
In 1905, Rank presented his work on the role of the artist in the evolution of culture to Freud, who highly appreciated it. His book "The Artist" (Der Künstler, 1907) was later expanded and revised, becoming "Art and Artist" in 1932. This was followed by his well-known work "The Myth of the Birth of the Hero" (Der Mythus der Geburt des Heldens, 1909) and "The Incest Theme in Poetry and Saga" (Das Inzest-Motiv in Dichtung und Sage, 1912).
Editorship and Doctoral Dissertation
In 1913, Rank defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Vienna. From 1912 to 1924, he served as the editor of the first psychoanalytic journals, "Imago" and "Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse."
Development of Psychoanalytic Method
Rank's first significant work in the field of psychoanalysis was "The Trauma of Birth" (Das Trauma der Geburt, 1924), which, although dedicated to Freud, sparked accusations of deviation from Freudian principles. His three-volume work "The Technique of Psychoanalysis" (Technik der Psychoanalyse, 1926–1931) was dedicated to presenting his own psychotherapeutic method. Rank believed that a patient's resistance to treatment was a positive factor and utilized the suppressed creative abilities of neurotics in therapy. During this period, he also wrote "Fundamentals of Genetic Psychology" (Grundzüge einer Genetischen Psychologie, 1927–1928), which provided the theoretical basis for his psychotherapeutic method.
Later Works and Death
In his book "Art and Artist," Rank summarized his lifelong research on the role of creativity in human development. His book "Psychology and the Belief in the Existence of the Soul" (Seelenglaube und Psychologie, 1930) demonstrated his interest in the history of civilization. The hypotheses presented in this book found their logical conclusion in his work "Beyond Psychology" (1941). Otto Rank passed away on October 31, 1939, in New York City.
