Key Experience

KEY EXPERIENCE (Schlüssel-erlebnis), a term introduced by Kretschmer (E. Kretschmer) to denote those (primarily conflictual) experiences that, in his expression, fit the character of a given individual like a key to a lock, i.e., most easily evoke from their side characteristic psychological reactions, especially when environmental conditions also contribute. For weak, shy, conscientious (sensitive) individuals, such key experiences are internal (especially sexual) conflicts, falls in the struggle with oneself (masturbation), which in them easily lead to withdrawal into oneself, suspiciousness, and the formation of various so-called neurotic symptoms (obsessive phenomena, etc.); conversely, for sthenic natures, fighter personalities (expansive), key experiences usually consist of defeats in the struggle with other people (e.g., a lost sporting competition), forcing them to concentrate all their strength on one goal - obtaining revenge - and in some cases leading to the development of paranoid persecution delusions.