Dr Otto RankOtto Rank was a well-known psychoanalyst who was born in Vienna, Austria, on April 22, 1884. He was one of Sigmund Freud's closest friends, and he made a substantial contribution to the development of psychoanalytic thought via his work. After startig to work with Freud after receiving his Doctorate in literature in 1912, Rank ultimately rose to the position of secretary for the Vienna Psychoanalytic Association. He became well known for his early research on the psychology of art and the creative process. Rank developed his notion of "birth trauma" and its function in human psychology as a result of his study of the symbolism of myth and literature. According to Rank's idea of birth trauma, one's birth experience has a profound impact on their sense of security and self-worth throughout their whole life. His ultimate split with Freud and the psychoanalytic community was a result of this idea as well as his other contributions to psychoanalytic thought. Rank continued to publish and expand his theories after leaving psychoanalysis, including his work on the psychology of religion and his "will therapy" hypothesis. In order to escape the development of Nazi authority in Austria, he relocated to New York City, where he passed away on October 31, 1939. Even now, Rank's legacy has had an impact on the disciplines of psychology and psychoanalysis. Read More Read Less