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(1965). Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 13:422-434

Sensory Determinants of the Symbol Three

Jules Glenn, M.D.

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This paper in somewhat different from was presented at the Fall Meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association in December, 1962.

Submitted March 30, 1964 (Revised version)

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I

THE SYMBOLISM of the number three is well established. Abraham (1) and Spitz (42) have confirmed Freud's (12) statement that "the sacred number three is symbolic of the whole male genitalia" (p. 137). This symbolism has been observed clinically in dreams and other productions of analytic patients. It has also been demonstrated in such cultural manifestations as the use of trinities associated with or derived from phallic worship (42), (39), (13), (21), and the derivation of the Arabic numeral 3 from a male genital configuration (42). The genital meaning appears linguistically in the British slang phrase "To play three to one (and sure to lose)," which means to co

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