Question

Based on what is stated in the passage, one can infer that the author \(\underline{\hspace{3cm}}\).

• A. is unable to make sense of his own dreams
• B. is participating in a tradition of studying dreams in a psychological light
• C. is not himself a psychologist
• D. is famous
• E. believes himself to have no "intermixture of neurotic characters"

Hint:

Inference questions require you to connect different pieces of information. Ask yourself: "If X is the reason for a decision, what does that imply about the alternative that was chosen?" Here, the reason for rejecting patients' dreams implies a quality about the author's own dreams.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks for a logical inference based on the author's statements. An inference is a conclusion that is not directly stated but is strongly implied by the text.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In the third paragraph, the author explains why he did not use his patients' dreams. He states he was "restrained from utilizing material derived from my patients' dreams by the fact that during their treatment, the dream processes were subjected to an undesirable complication—the intermixture of neurotic characters."
He then decides to use his own dreams as the primary source material instead. The logical inference is that he chose his own dreams because he believed they did *not* suffer from this same "undesirable complication." If his own dreams were also complicated by neurotic characters in the same way, they would be equally unsuitable for his purpose, and his reason for rejecting his patients' dreams would be illogical. Therefore, he must believe his own psychic state is suitable for the study in a way his patients' is not.
Let's evaluate the other options:
- (A): This is incorrect. He is using his own dreams to build his entire theory, so he must believe he can make sense of them.
- (B), (D): The passage provides no information to support these inferences.
- (C): He describes himself as an "investigator of nature" in the psychic realm and discusses "neuropathological interest," implying he is a psychologist or physician.

Step 3: Final Answer:
By presenting the "intermixture of neurotic characters" as the reason for rejecting his patients' dreams and then choosing his own, the author implies that he believes his own dreams are free from this specific complication.