Dreams of death: Von Weizsäcker's Dreams in so-called endogenic anorexia: a research note

Viktor Von Weizsäcker's paper "Dreams in so-called endogenic Magersucht (anorexia," first published in the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift in 1937 (translation in M. Kaufman & M. Heiman [1964]. Evolution of psychosomatic concepts: Anorexia nervosa: A paradigm (pp. 181-197), New York: International Universities Press, has been described as a noteworthy and historically important contribution to the recognition of anorexia nervosa as a psychosomatic illness. Von Weizsäcker analyzed the dreams of patients he was treating for "endogenous anorexia" (magersucht). He claimed that in the bulimic phase his patients experienced nightmares dealing with themes of death, but that in the anorectic phases of restricted eating more pleasant dreams dealt with themes of blissful contentment. The authors draw current attention to his work as another early example of the treatment of the theme of death and death symbolism in the literature on eating disorders, and suggest some reappraisal of von Weizsäcker's interpretations of his own material.