Journal List > J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc > v.57(1) > 1017872

TOOLS
Min: Hermann Hesse's Depression, Pietism, and Psychoanalysis
Review Article

J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc 2018;57(1):52-80.

Published online: 17 January 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2018.57.1.52

Hermann Hesse's Depression, Pietism, and Psychoanalysis

Sung Kil Min, MD, PhD

Hyoja Geriatric Hospital, Yongin, Korea

Sung Kil Min, MD, PhD Hyoja Genriatric Hospital, 1-30 Jungbu-daero 874beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin 17089, Korea Tel +82-31-288-0600 Fax +82-31-288-0539 E-mail skmin518@yuhs.ac

      Revised 28 August 201716 December 2017       Accepted 23 December 2017

Copyright © 2018 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Hermann Hesse's personal life (1877–1962) is characterized by traumatization caused by suppressive pietistic discipline of his parents during his youth, and depression in his middle age accompanied by psychoanalysis treatment. At the age of 15, he was admitted to mental institutions due to defiant behavior. With this traumatic experience, his psychosexual development seemed inhibited during his adolescence. At age 39, depression developed precipitated by the death of his father. Hesse had received Jungian psychoanalysis from Dr. Lang and Dr. Jung over a 10-year period. However, psychoanalysis could not prevent the recurrence of depression. His appreciation of psychoanalysis became critical. Meanwhile, Hesse announced that he had been a Protestant Christian. In his 50s, he began to create new novels which, beyond polarity based on Jungian psychoanalysis, described the journey toward a greater harmonious and spiritual oneness. Pietism was at one time the reason of his pain, but became life-long support for Hesse‘s spiritual maturity. He was diagnosed with type II bipolar disorder. The main dynamic factors are thought to be ambivalence, feelings of guilt regarding his aggression toward his parents, and sexual conflict. His coping mechanisms seemed to include pietistic self-control, avoidance, scholarship and creation of literature. By writing the autobiographical Bildungsromans, Hesse tried not only to master his own personal problems but to enlighten readers. However, it seemed that he could not overcome the feelings of guilt associated with leaving his father.

Keywords: Hermann Hesse, Pietism, Depression, Jung psychoanalysis, Ambivalence, Aggression, Sexual conflict, Guilt feeling, Literal creation

REFERENCES

1). Freedman R. Hermann Hesse: pilgrim of crisis a biography. New York, NY: Pantheon Books;1978.
2). Mileck J. Hermann Hesse: biography and bibliography. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press;1977.
3). Schneider CI. Hermann Hesse. München: CH Beck;1991.
4). hermann-hesse.de [homepage on the Internet]. Hermann-Hesse-Portal. Life and his family [cited 2016 Jun 30]. Available from:. https://www.hermann-hesse.de/ko/%EC%83%9D%EC%95%A0/%EA%B0%80%EC%A1%B1.
5). gss.ucsb.edu [homepage on the Internet]. Hermann Hesse and Sigmund Freud. © HHP and Prof. John Cremerius. [cited 2015 May 5]. Available from:. http://www.gss.ucsb.edu/projects/hesse/papers/cremeri-us.pdf.
6). Michels V. Hermann Hesse and psychoanalysis. Cornils I, editor. editor.A companion to the works of Hermann Hesse. Rochester, NY: Camden House;2009. p. 320–344.
7). Baumann G. Hermann Hesse and the psychology of C.G. Jung. Proceedings of the 9th International Hesse Colloquium in Calw. 1997. May 9; Calw, Germany.
8). Maier E. The psychology of C.G. Jung in the works of Hermann Hesse [dissertation]. New York (NY): New York Univ.;1952.
9). Mondon C. Hesse's tale, and the influence of psychoanalysis. Proceedings of the 9th International Hesse Colloquium in Calw. 1997. May 9; Calw, Germany.
10). Breugelmans R. Hermann Hesse and depth psychology. Can Rev Comp Lit. 1981; 8:10–47.
11). Stelzig EL. Hermann Hesse's fictions of the self: autobiography and the confessional imagination. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press;1988. p. 71–79.
12). Lee IU. Psychoanalysis and Hesse's literal creation. Behav Sci Med. 2008; 7:90–101.
13). Cheong KY. Hermann Hesses Demian und die Religionspsychologie von C. G. Jung. Hesse Forsch. 2000; 4:27–48.
14). Han OS, Han YJ. Influence of C. G. Jung on Hesse. Behav Sci Med. 2008; 7:83–89.
15). Stephenson B. Veneration and revolt: Hermann Hesse and Swabian pietism. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press;1966.
16). Limberg M. “My father's shadow as a pursuer”: Hermann Hesse and his father. Proceedings of the 9th International Hesse Colloquium in Calw. 1997. May 9; Calw, Germany.
17). hansbeihl.com [homepage on the Internet]. When caring parents break their children's hearts. Hermann Hesse: search for the self [cited 2014 Apr 2]. Available from:. http://www.hansbeihl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/lovethathurts2.pdf.
18). Minkus E. Traces of motherhood in Hesse's works. Proceedings of the 9th International Hesse Colloquium in Calw. 1997. May 9; Calw, Germany.
19). hermann-hesse.de [homepage on the Internet]. Hermann Hesse portal. Resume-life story briefly told [cited 2016 Jun 30]. Available from:. http://www.hermann-hesse.de/ko/1/27-0.
20). Hirsch W. Hermann Hesse in Bad Boll und Stetten. Lebenszeugnisse, Briefe, unvervoeffentlichte Dokumente. Hiraausgegeben von der Dia-konie Stetten e.V. 1999.
21). Min SK. Hesse's critical youth. Behav Sci Med. 2008; 7:68–82.
22). Klaus B. Hermann Hesse (1877-1962): anything other than a robust temperament. Deutsches Aerzteblatt. 2012 Aug. PP 11. p.363. Available from:. http://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/128384/Hermann-Hesse-(1877-1962)-Alles-andere-als-ein-robustes-Naturell.
23). Fahlbusch E, Lochman JM, Mbiti J, Pelikan J, Vischer L. The encyclopedia of christianity, vol 4. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Pub Co.;2005. p. 218–220.
24). Stoeffler FE. German pietism during the eighteenth century. Leiden: E.J. Brill;1973.
25). Farrell D. The forgotten childhood of Hermann Hesse. Annu Psycho-anal. 1987; 15:247–268.
26). Helt RC. A poet or nothing at all: tubingen and basel years of Herman Hesse. Providence, RI: Berghan Books;1996.
27). Limberg R. Therapeutic aspects of painting by Hermann Hesse. Proceedings of the 9th International Hesse Colloquium in Calw. 1997. May 9; Calw, Germany.
28). Hesse H. Artist and Psychoanalysis (1918). Translated by Miriam M. Reik. Psychoanalytic Review. 1963; 50C:5–6.
29). von Olenhusen AG. Sigmund Freud, Max Weber and the sexual revolution. Heuer G, editor. editor.Sexual revolution. Psychoanalysis, history and the father. New York, NY: Reutledge;2011. p. 89–104.
30). Feitknecht T. Doktor un Freund. Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Beilage. 2004, Oktober 30./31. S. 69 [cited 2013 Jul 2]. Available from:. http://www.dpg-stuttgart.de/Hesse%20und%20Lang.pdf.
31). Curtius ER. Hermann Hesse. Bloom H, editor. editor.Bloom's modern critical views. Hermann Hesse. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publish-ers;2003. p. 3–18.
32). Park CH. Das Leben von Ninon Hesse als die letze geliebte Frau Herman Hesse. Hesse Forsch. 2012. 33–49.
33). Mahony P. Prize G. Depression. Erwin E, editor. editor.The Freud Encyclopedia. Theory, therapy, and culture. New York, NY: Routledge;2002. p. 241–242.
34). Roberts P. Life, death and transformation: education and incompleteness in Hermann Hesse's the glass bead game. Can J Edu. 2008; 31:667–696.
35). Andreasen NC. The relationship between creativity and mood disorders. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2008; 10:251–255.
crossref
36). Galvez JF, Thommi S, Ghaemi SN. Positive aspects of mental illness: a review in bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord. 2011; 128:185–190.
crossref
37). Akhtar S. Comprehensive dictionary of psychoanalysis. London: Kar-nac Books Ltd;2009. p.164.
38). Palmer CB. The significance of homosexual desire in modern German literature [dissertation]. St.Louis (MO): Washington Univ.;1997.
39). Park KJ. Die Knabenliebe in den Romanen von Hermann Hesse. Hesse Forsch. 2006; 12:23–42.
40). Steinberg W. Depression: a discussion of Jung's ideas. J Anal Psychol. 1989; 34:339–352.
crossref
41). Rhi BY. Stories on analytical psychology. Seoul: Jipmun-dang;2014. p.143.
42). Eaghll T. From pietism to romanticism: the early life and work of Friedrich Schleiermacher. In: Collins Winn CT, Gehrz C, Carlson GW, Holst E, editors. The pietist impulse in Christianity. Cambridge: James Clarke and Co.;2012.
43). Faflak J. Romantic psychoanalysis: the burden of the mystery. New York, NY: State University of New York Press;2007. p. 1–30.
44). catholicculture.org [homepage on the Internet]. Confession and psychiatry. by John B. Sheerin, C.S.P. [cited 2017 Jan 5]. Available from:. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=8336.
45). Lee IU. Hesse's ‘trans-religion' and a new god inside our mind. Christian Thought. 1988; 358:79–89.
46). Erikson EH. Childhood and society. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company;1950. p.242.
TOOLS
Similar articles