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The death drive according to Sabina Spielrein¹

Fátima Caropreso*
Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Institute of Human Sciences. Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil

Abstract: Sabina Spielrein’s thought and life have attracted an increasing interest in the last decades, although her
theoretical contribution has remained in the background in comparison with her biography. One of the most widespread
ideas is that in Die Destruktion als Ursache des Werdens she anticipated the Freudian concept of death drive. However,
the specific meaning of her hypothesis is seldom discussed and, in fact, there are fundamental differences between their
views. The objective of this article is to discuss some hypotheses formulated by Spielrein in her 1912 work in order to
better elucidate her concept of death drive.

Keywords: Sabina Spielrein, death drive, destruction, come-into-being.

The life and work of Russian physician and psycho- would later allow Freud to develop the central hypotheses
analyst Sabina Spielrein has increasingly attracted inter- of his theory. On the other hand, this Freudian theory uses
est in last few decades, especially since the publication of other foundations and brings a theoretical originality that
her letters, diary and other documents by Aldo Carotenuto justifies a more careful analysis of its internal develop-
in 1977. However, her theoretical contributions for our un- ment. In this work, we intend to delve into some points of
derstanding of both normal and pathological psychology Spielrein’s theory, using her work on destruction, in order
have taken a back seat to certain aspects of her biogra- better to understand the concept of death instinct.
phy, in particular her personal relationship with Carl Jung.
The first volume of Sabina Spielrein’s complete writings The introduction of the “death instinct”
(Cromberg, 2014) has just been published in Brazil, con- hypothesis
taining translations of some of her most important papers,
as well commentary on her biography and her theoretical Sabina Spielrein participated in the Vienna
production, a great contribution to those interested in the Psychoanalytic Society between October 1911 and March
history of psychoanalysis. 1912 (Balsam, 2003). On November 29, 1911, she pre-
Most scholars who study Freud and Spielrein, of- sented her “On Transformation” lecture, sharing a part of
ten defend the thought that her text, “Destruction as the her “Destruction as the Cause of Coming Into Being” ar-
Cause of Coming Into Being” (1912), anticipated the hy- ticle, published in 1912. At this conference, she refers for
pothesis of death drive, only introduced by Freud in 1920 the first time to her death instinct hypothesis (Nunberg &
(Lothane, 2003; Britton, 2003; Van Waning, 1992; Robert, Federn, 1974). Cromberg (2014) points out that the concept
1966; Carotenuto, 1980; Peres, 2012). In the 1943 edition of a death instinct is directly linked to the clinical issues
of “Psychology of the Unconscious” (1943/1968), Carl Jung Spielrein faced when caring for schizophrenic patients
himself pointed out that the Freudian concept of death in the Burghölzi clinic (Switzerland), and to the theoreti-
drive was originally proposed by Sabina Spielrein in her cal questions raised in her first essay “The Psychological
1912 text. However, the meaning of Spielrein’s hypothesis Content of a Case of Schizophrenia”. This essay was the re-
is little discussed, as is the idea that she anticipated the sult of her medical thesis, supervised by Eugen Bleuler and
concept of death drive Freud would later come to propose presented at the University of Zurich’s School of Medicine,
in “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” (1920/1982). A careful in 1911. By her own admittance, her reflections were part
analysis of Spielrein’s text reveals fundamental differences of the “new psychiatry”, which introduced psychoanalysis
that distance her hypothesis from Freud’s own work. Other and occurred at the Burghölzi clinic during the first decade
ideas parallel fundamental aspects of Freud’s theory after of the 20th century (Cromberg, 2014).
1920, especially the postulation of a psychic functioning Spielrein starts the essay “Destruction as the
existing prior to the one governed by the principle of plea- Cause of Coming Into Being” (Spielrein, 1912), ques-
sure. Spielrein’s theories reveal a wealth of theoretical and tioning the reproductive drive (Fortpflanzungstrieb), the
clinical ideas and insights and seem to carry the seeds that most powerful of drives, and the reason it carries positive
feelings, as well as negative ones – such as anxiety and
disgust. She ponders on what happens to the individual
1 Funding Information: National Council for Scientific and Technological when faced with sexual activity that could justify this
Development (CNPq). Research productivity grant
state of mind. A number of authors have pointed out this
* Corresponding address: [email protected]
relationship and attempted to explain it, and Spielrein had

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 The death drive according to Sabina Spielrein
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her own hypothesis to answer it: these negative feelings The relationship between death instinct
correspond to “the destructive components of the sexu- and sexual instinct in the psyche
al instinct” (Spielrein, 1912/2014, p. 232). Afterwards,
Spielrein speaks of a “death instinct within the sexual in- Other psychological facts, besides the negative feel-
stinct” (Spielrein, 1912, p.259)2. ings that often accompany sexual activity, illustrate the
She comes to this conclusion after a brief reflec- necessary relationship between sexuality and destructive-
tion on some biological facts. In reproduction, unit cells are ness, defends Spielrein. Among them, we have the great
destroyed in the process of giving birth to new life. Some incidence of neuroses in times of war, the sadism and mas-
lower beings die after reproduction. With multicellular be- ochism phenomena and cases of intense parental fixation.
ings, the difference is merely quantitative: a part of the or- The author notes that times of war are strongly
ganism (germ cells), representing the organism as a whole, associated with the irruption of neuroses and even sug-
is destroyed. In this case, the male component merges with gests that this is in direct consequence to a disruption of
the female component, suffers reorganization and takes people’s sexual lives. Destructive representations walk
on a new form that is mediated by the unknown intruder. alongside war and evoke other representations associ-
Thus, Spielrein affirms: ated with the destructive component of the reproductive
drive. For a normal person, these representations could
destruction and reconstruction, which under usual disturb a life felt as ephemeral and senseless, but neurot-
circumstances always accompany each other, oc- ics would see them as pernicious, symbols capable of
cur rapidly. The organism discharges its sexual representing their destructive fantasies. Neurotics see
product as if it were one of its excretions. It would representations of war as destructive fantasies. Thus,
be highly unlikely if the individual did not at least Spielrein maintains that: “In neurosis, the destructive
surmise, through corresponding feelings, these in- component prevails and is expressed in all symptoms
ternal destructive-reconstructive events. The joyful of resistance to life and natural destiny”. (Spielrein,
feeling of coming into being that is present within 1912/2014, p. 259-260)
the reproductive drive is accompanied by a feeling Spielrein argues that, due to the destructive compo-
of resistance, of anxiety or disgust. This does not nent inherent in sexual impulses, man can possess intensely
result from spatial proximity to the excreta or from sadistic desires, which may lead him to want the destruc-
the negativity of a renunciation of sexual activity; tion of the object of his love. Sadism would be the result of
the feeling directly corresponds to the destruc- this destructive component intensifying, and if directed to
tive component of the sexual instinct. (Spielrein, a person’s Self (his Ego), could lead to self-criticism, self-
1912/2014, p. 232)3. destruction, characterizing masochism. Thus, the phenom-
ena of sadism and masochism would clearly illustrate the
After presenting the existence of destructive relationship between sexuality and destructiveness.
components in the sexual instincts, Spielrein explored The case of intense parental fixation also appears as
some psychological phenomena, which could support the manifestation of the relationship between death instinct
and clarify this hypothesis. The last part of the essay and sexual instinct. Spielrein argues we love in the other
is devoted to linking her theory with the mythology the parental resemblance and that chance will determine
and the literature. Bellow, we explore only some of the whether or not a pre-intended sexual experience will be ac-
psychological hypotheses presented in the 1912 article. tivated. If representations were activated but not fulfilled,
They are the basis for understanding the concept of they would remain in the psyche as an intense yearning to
death instinct. return to the origins, more specifically, a state of fusion
with the parents. According to the author, a strong parental
attachment would prevent the transformation to the exter-
nal world and the unsatisfied libido could reconnect with
2 The idea of a necessary relationship between sexuality and destruction
the parental figure, resulting in incestuous fantasies in the
was already mentioned in excerpts of Sabina’s diary (Spielrien, 2003). external world or in more sublimated symptomatic fan-
In the prologue, Jeanne Moll says that there is reason to believe that the tasies. In other words, nature worship or religious symp-
diary was written between 1906 and 1907, though it is impossible to toms. At the same time, the destructive impulse contained
determine this unquestionably. In a letter Spielrein wrote Freud in 1909,
there is mention of her theory regarding the relationship between sexua- in the procreative drive would intensify, producing more
lity and destruction (Carotenuto, 1980). concrete or more sublimated death fantasies. On the other
3 Spielrein (1912) uses German terms like “Instinkt”, “Trieb” and “Drang” hand, death manifestation connected with incestuous de-
throughout her work. She uses “Instinkt” to compose the names “To- sire would not be expressed (I am dying because I must
desinstinkt” (death instinct) and “Sexualinstinkt” (sexual instinct). The
term “Drang” is used in “Destruktionsdrang” (destruction drive) and the not sin). In this case, dying would achieve the desired re-
term “Trieb” is used in “Selbsterhaltungstrieb” (self-preservation drive), gression to the paternal. Regarding the less differentiated
“Arterhaltungstrieb” (drive for the preservation of the species) and “For- incestuous love, Spielrein defends that “the desire for more
tpflanzungstrieb” (drive to procreate). The author also uses, a handful of
times, “Fortpflanzungsinstinkt” (procreation instinct) and “Selbsterhal- evident destruction corresponds to a more intense desire to
tungsinsinkt” (self-preservation instinct). become”. (Spielrein, 1912/2014, p. 259)

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These hypotheses aid the author in maintaining the step of transformation is known as “assimilation” or “dis-
existence of a regressive sexual instinct, which basically solution”. This way, consciousness differentiates from the
means a tendency to return to a state of fusion with the unconscious and is assimilated, determining the emotional
parents. Unresolved sexual impulses would intensify this tonality of an experience. The unconscious dissolves rep-
trend, thus strengthening the destructive component of sex- resentations, making them undifferentiated. An example
ual impulses, and giving rise to the phenomenon described that illustrates this process is a patient diagnosed with
above. This desire to return to a state of fusion with the early onset dementia, who used to say “The earth has been
parents would in turn mean a desire for self-destruction. pierced”, rather than saying “I was fertilized”. Earth repre-
Sexual instinct would thus have two antagonistic sented the great mother or the unconscious representation
impulses: a destructive and a reproductive impulse. The of all people. In this great mother (the unconscious), the
imbalance between them would result in one standing out patient would transform herself into her undifferentiated
and the other fading into the background, which would ex- (mother).
plain the neglect of the death instinct in sexual instinct. Spielrein distinguishes between the ego-psyche
In the phenomena described above, the destructive com- (the Self) and a deeper psyche, known as the “species-
ponent would be intensified. However, there is no coming psyche” (Artpsyche)4. The unconscious would not only be
into being without destruction. The author explains this: an individual’s past experiences, but also the experiences
“Under normal circumstances, representations of becom- of countless generations. This means that the unconscious
ing coming into being should prevail a little, after all com- assimilation of events, which occurred many generations
ing into being is the result of destruction, it is determined before, would fit into a chain of present thoughts, that is, an
by destruction. Nonetheless, it is much easier to think of experience of the Self would eventually turn into an experi-
the end results than to always seek what caused them”. ence of the species. The more we approach our conscious
(Spielrein, 1912/2014, p. 259) thoughts, the more differentiated our representations
Spielrein’s death instinct would not seek the annihi- would be. On the other hand, the more we dive into the
lation of the individual as a whole or life as we know it, but unconscious, the more universal and typical they would be.
rather the destruction of the Self, which we can clearly see According to the author: “our deep psyche is a stranger to
occurring in cases of early onset dementia. Sexual instinct, the Self, knowing only its sum, the Us”. (Spielrein, 1912, p.
or the “drive to preserve the species” (Arterhaltungstriebe), 472). The present Self would be an object, subordinated to
would express itself psychologically in a tendency towards other similar objects. The species-psyche considers the Self
dissolution and assimilation of the psyche (Ichpsyche). (or the ego-psyche) a subordinate object, observing it as an
individual part of the personality, which could be seen as
The opposition between the tendency an object.
towards dissolution and the tendency Early onset dementia means that the Self is no
towards differentiation longer functional, and that the representations of the
Self are transformed into representations of the species
For Spielrein, what makes an individual is that he (Artvorstellungen) or objective representations. This dis-
is a “dividual”, in other words, a being that is divided. She ease could be explained as a battle between these two op-
cites Ernst Mach, who believes that the Self is merely a posing tendencies of the psyche. According to Spielrein:
momentary grouping of elemental sensations eternally “The species-psyche wants to reduce the representation
alive; it is something continuously changing and not whol- of the Self into a typically impersonal representation, the
ly essential. The author groups Mach with Carl Jung, who ego-psyche defends itself from this dissolution”. (Spielrein,
defends the psyche as a combination of many individual 1912/2014, p. 240).
parts; groupings fighting each other for precedence. The Therefore, we have two opposing tendencies – a
perfect consolidation of this view, for Spielrein, turned out “tendency towards dissolution and assimilation” and a
to be one of her patients, who had early onset dementia. His “tendency towards differentiation”– present in the psyche,
Ego experienced this struggle so strongly, activated powers which would be psychic expressions of drive for the preser-
fighting for supremacy, that the patient considered his own vation of the species (Arterhaltungstrieb) and the self-pres-
unconscious desires as being hostile living beings. ervation drive (Selbsterhaltungstrieb), respectively. Thus,
According to Spielrein, an event would acquire the opposition–also defended by Freud at the time–be-
emotional tonality only insofar as it could stimulate emo- tween these two drives continues. The sexual instinct and
tional tonalities of previously experienced events, hidden the death instinct of the psyche work together to preserve
within the unconscious. For this reason, what we experi- the species, and give rise to the tendency towards dissolu-
ence is not exactly the present. Our conscious experiences tion and assimilation, as opposed to the tendency towards
are allegories of unknown primitive experiences that seek differentiation, which would be the expression of the self-
connections in the present. Unconscious thoughts and rep- preservation drive. While the former seeks to transform the
resentations walk side by side with each conscious repre- 4 Van Waning (1992) and Skea (2006) suggest that Spielrein’s “species-
sentation or thought and that would transform the products -psyche” theory (Artpsyche) precedes Jung’s concept of “collective un-
of conscious thought into a specific language. This last conscious”.

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 The death drive according to Sabina Spielrein
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experiences of the self into experiences of the species, the The species-psyche and the pleasure
latter aims for inertia, keeping the Self unchanged. In the principle
author’s words:
Spielrein argues that Freud was right to suppose
The self-preservation drive in us corresponds to the that the causa movens of our conscious and unconscious
tendency towards differentiation and to our ability Self is the pursuit of pleasure and the suppression of the
to preserve an externally crystallized particle of the unpleasant, though it is necessary to question whether all
Self or the whole personality of the Self. The pres- psychic life resides in the Self. We do not possess powerful
ervation drive of the species is a drive to procreate, impulses move our psychic contents without consideration
and it also expressed psychically in the dissolution for the misery of the Self, Spielrein wonders, and her an-
or the tendency towards assimilation (transform- swer is as follows:
ing self into us), with a new differentiation of the
original matter. “Where love reigns, the ego, the I have to strongly defend that the ego-psyche, in-
ominous despot, dies”. (Spielrein, 1912/2014, p. cluding the unconscious, is guided by motions that
260-261) are deeper and not part of our emotional reactions
to the demands shaped by them. Pleasure is simply
Since there is no coming into being without de- the affirmative reaction of the Self to these original
struction, the preservation of the species would lead to dis- demands of the core and we can achieve pleasure
solution and assimilation, without which we would have no directly from the unpleasant and pleasure from
creation of new beings. The self-preservation drive would pain, which, taken in itself, is heavily loaded with
not create anything new, seeking always to maintain the displeasure, for pain harms the individual, against
inertia of the Self. Thus, Spielrein argues that: which our self-preservation instinct opposes.
Therefore, at our core, there is something that, how-
The self-preservation drive is a simple drive, which ever paradoxical it may seem a priori, seeks this
only consists of a positive side; the drive for the self-harm, since the Self reacts to it with pleasure.
preservation of the species, which must dissolve The desire for self-harm, the elation at the pain is,
the old to create the new, has both a positive and a however, completely incomprehensible if we only
negative component. The drive for the preservation consider the life of the Self, which only seeks plea-
of the species is, in its essence, ambivalent; thus, sure”. (Spielrein, 1912/2014, p. 237)
inciting the positive component means also stimu-
lating the negative component, and so on and so Spielrein argues that the species-psyche does not
forth. The self-preservation drive is a “static” drive, obey the pleasure principle, as Freud proposed. This prin-
protecting the already existing individual against ciple would only relate to the functioning of the conscious
foreign influences. The drive for the preservation of and the unconscious Self. The species-psyche could derive
the species is a “dynamic” drive, which strives for joy from pain, which might in turn hinder the struggle for
transformation, the “resurrection” of the individu- self-preservation, as well as a desire for self-harm. Perfectly
al in a new form. No transformation can proceed compatible with the hypothesis of dissolution and assimila-
without the destruction of the old state. (Spielrein, tion. The desire for self-harm and the rejoicing of pain, ac-
1912/2014, p. 261) cording to Spielrein, would support the hypothesis that not
all psychic processes are based on the pleasure principle; in
The dissolution and assimilation process can be other words, there is a deeper psychic functioning, going
experiences pleasantly or unpleasantly. In early onset de- “beyond” this original principle. According to the author:
mentia, the transformation of the ego-psyche into the spe-
cies-psyche initially causes severe anguish and depression. The ego-psyche can only desire feelings of plea-
These feelings would arise while the patient continued to sure, but the species-psyche reveals to us our de-
hold on to a relationship with the Self. As the disease pro- sires . . . so we learn that the desires of the species
gresses, indifference would follow. On the other hand, in that live within us are not at all the same as the de-
the artistic experience, the transformation of the Self into sires of the Self, that the species-psyche wants to as-
the collective is a pleasant experience. Spielrein argues similate the recent ego-psyche, while the Self, yes,
that, by creating the typical, the artist enjoys his sublimated each particle of the Self possesses the ambition of
product. The dissolution of the Self in the beloved, which self-preservation in the present form (capacity for
occurs in the involvement with the opposite sex, is also ex- perseveration). (Spielrein, 1912/2014, p. 241-242)
perienced with joy. However, the author also believes in
feeling real pleasure in the unpleasant or the painful, which From this deep psyche–not based on the pleasure
leads to the hypothesis that not all psychic functioning is principle–would arise the impulse to destroy, or the death
ruled by the pleasure principle, which is something Freud instinct, which would be an impulse to annihilate the Self
defended at the time. and not an impulse to destroy the organism.

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Final considerations it is essential to the preservation of the species and has as

a pre-requisite the destruction of the Self. The species-
Spielrein proposes the differentiation between the psyche, unlike the ego-psyche, would not flee from dis-
species-psyche and the ego-psyche, two antagonistic ten- pleasure or pursue pleasure.
dencies. The former contains a tendency towards dissolu- Thus, the author maintains the opposition between
tion and assimilation–the psychological expression of the the ego drives and sexual drives and places the death in-
species’ preservation drive –, which seek to dissolve the stinct within these two. This latter instinct would not seek
contents of the Self into the species. The latter manifests the annihilation of life, would not aim to completely elimi-
a tendency towards differentiation–the psychological ex- nate stimulation, as Freud proposed in 1920, but would in
pression of the self-preservation drive –, which wants to fact attempt to destroy the Self; the transformation of Self
keep the inertia of the Self. While the tendency towards into Us. The hypothesis of the inseparability between de-
dissolution and assimilation are based on positive and struction and creation means that, for Spielrein, there is no
negative components, the tendency towards differentia- purely negative drive, which is part of the Freudian theory.
tion is based only on positive components. Since there is In future works, we will analyze more thoroughly the ap-
no creation without destruction, the first of these tenden- proximations and divergences between concepts defended
cies is the one that depends on the creation of something; by Freud and by Spielrein.

O instinto de morte segundo Sabina Spielrein

Resumo: O pensamento e a vida de Sabina Spielrein têm despertado um interesse crescente nas últimas décadas, embora sua
contribuição teórica tenha ficado em segundo plano em relação a sua biografia. Uma das ideias mais difundidas é a de que ela
teria antecipado o conceito freudiano de pulsão de morte, em seu texto Die Destruktion als Ursache des Werdens. No entanto,
pouco se discute sobre o sentido da sua hipótese e uma análise atenta revela que há diferenças fundamentais que distanciam
suas ideias das de Freud. Nesse texto, pretendemos retomar alguns pontos da teoria formulada por Spielrein em seu texto de
1912, tendo em vista melhor elucidar o seu conceito de instinto de morte.

Palavras-chave: Sabina Spielrein, instinto de morte, destruição, devir.

Le concept d’instinct de mort chez Sabina Spielrein

Résumé: L’intérêt pour la pensée et la vie de Sabina Spielrein s’est accru lors des dernières décennies, même si ses contributions
théoriques sont restées en second plan par rapport à sa biographie. Une des idées les plus répandues, c’est qu’elle aurait anticipé
le concept freudien de pulsion de mort dans son texte Die Destruktion als Ursache des Werdens. Toutefois, on discute peu le sens
de son hypothèse et une analyse attentive révèle qu’il existe des différences fondamentales qui l’éloignent de Freud. Dans ce
texte nous aurons reprendre certains points de la théorie formulée par Spielrein dans son texte de 1912 avec le but d’élucider
son concept d’instinct de mort.

Mots-clés: Sabina Spielrein, instinct de mort, destruction, devenir.

El concepto de instinto de muerte según Spielrein

Resumen: El pensamiento y la vida de Sabina Spielrein han despertado un interés creciente en las últimas décadas, aunque
su contribución teórica haya quedado en segundo plano respecto de su biografía. Una de las ideas más difundidas es que ella
habría anticipado el concepto freudiano de pulsión de muerte en su texto Die Destruktion als Ursache des Wedens. Sin embargo,
no se ha discutido suficientemente el sentido de su hipótesis y un análisis pormenorizado revela la existencia de diferencias
fundamentales que la distancian de Freud. En este texto pretendemos retomar algunos puntos de la teoría formulada por
Spielrein en su texto de 1912 con el objetivo de elucidar su concepto de instinto de muerte.

Palabras clave: Sabina Spielrein, instinto de muerte, destrucción, devenir.

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Received: April 01, 2015
Reviewed: September 09, 2015
Approved: September 17, 2015

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