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Reichian analysis

a highly controversial and largely discredited system of psychotherapy, developed by Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957), in which orgastic potency is emphasized as the criterion of mental health. Notwithstanding the widespread judgment of the approach as alternative (see alternative psychotherapy) and unsupported by research, Reich made early contributions to psychology in his theories concerning character analysis, emotional catharsis, and authoritarianism.

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Psychology term of the day

October 10th 2024

anal eroticism

anal eroticism

in psychoanalytic theory, pleasurable sensations associated with expulsion, retention, or observation of the feces or through stimulation of the anus. These sensations first arise in the anal stage of psychosexual development, between the ages of 1 and 3. Also called anal erotism. See also anal personality; coprophilia.