The Inkblots

Hermann Rorschach, His Iconic Test, and the Power of Seeing

By: Damion Searls

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

The captivating, untold story of Hermann Rorschach and his famous inkblot test

In 1917, working alone in a remote Swiss asylum, psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach devised an experiment to probe the human mind: a set of ten carefully designed inkblots. For years he had grappled with the theories of Freud and Jung while also absorbing the aesthetic movements of the day, from Futurism to Dadaism. A visual artist himself, Rorschach had come to believe that who we are is less a matter of what we say, as Freud thought, than what we see.

After Rorschach’s early death, his test quickly made its way to America, where it took on a life of its own. Co-opted by the military after Pearl Harbor, it was a fixture at the Nuremberg trials and in the jungles of Vietnam. It became an advertising staple, a cliché in Hollywood and journalism, and an inspiration to everyone from Andy Warhol to Jay Z. The test was also given to millions of defendants, job applicants, parents in custody battles, and people suffering from mental illness or simply trying to understand themselves better. And it is still used today.

In this first-ever biography of Rorschach, Damion Searls draws on unpublished letters and diaries and a cache of previously unknown interviews with Rorschach’s family, friends, and colleagues to tell the unlikely story of the test’s creation, its controversial reinvention, and its remarkable endurance—and what it all reveals about the power of perception. Elegant and original, The Inkblots shines a light on the twentieth century’s most visionary synthesis of art and science.

Includes a bonus PDF with visuals and notes

Memorable

Psychoanalysis has been a long time fascination of mine, so I listened to the entire audiobook in only a couple of days. Damion Searls gives a thorough, well-written account of Hermann Rorschach and his influential ink blot test.

Special mention goes to Paul Boehmer, who is clearly one of the best narrators in the business. His oration made this great book even better.

Excellent information

Wonderful book about how the inkblots all started. It is a wonderful read for sure

Superb Overview of Diagnostic Assessments

Wished this had been available when no my clinical psychology program It answers so many questions. Opened my eyes! Admire the Rorschach greatly; we were taught Exner CS. Excellent book from a non-biased perspective.

what an incredibly well written book

Not only well written, but also a superb explanation of complex ideas, clearly and in unbiased manner. Author is not just informed as writer and polyglot translator, but has grasp of nuances within the field, including understanding of neuroscience. I am grateful for my trainers in postgrad psychiatry training, adjudged the Rorschack to be helpful "at times" and "in the right hands." I'm glad to learn of Hermann Rorschack's ipersonal and professional ntegrity. Doubtless, he would have quashed the misuse ofbthis method, given his innate doubtfulness of the method itself. My training makes me cautious about the 100,000s of self styled therapists "on the loose." Assuming that "therapists" are either COMPETENT or SANE is very dangerous. the work begun, so ably continued, by Eric Kandel, Nobel Prize winner in neuroscience, continues to be enlightening. OVER 90 y.o., he's still writing, focussing on this very subject from viewpoint of formal artistry.

Everything!

Amazing in every way. There is so much here that I bought the book as well. Impeccable research - a mixture of art, science, and literature. I doubt this book will get the exposure it deserves.