The Infamous Exploding Bookcase of 1909

One day, the two juggernauts of the mind; Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, were having a somewhat heated debate in Freud's office. Sigmund it seems, was very concerned with his protegee. On many occasions Freud had told himself that Jung would continue and improve on the work that he himself was pioneering. Jung was to be the superstar of psychoanalysis. However, Freud was just not too sure these days...

Sigmund had called on Carl to explain a distressing trend he had undertaken to find some acute form of rationality with the Chinese I Ching as well as astrology. For years, the topic of coincidence and synchronicity had befuddled and affected the young Jung. For a strict materialist like Sigmund Freud this just would not do."My boy, you are wallowing in the black tide of the mud of occultism!" he proclaimed. "I cannot help but dismiss your current work and my skepticism has grown tired of your paranormal leanings."
Jung was crushed. He had always wanted to feel some form of reciprocated interest . "Your skepticism herr professor, is an unhealthy one, and I fear it blinds you to great potential."

The two continued to argue somewhat heatedly. While Freud was going on in his way, Jung had a curious sensation. It was as if his 'diaphragm were made of iron and were becoming red-hot -- a glowing vault'. And at that moment there was such a loud report in the bookcase, which stood right next to them, that they both started up in alarm, fearing the thing was going to topple over on them. Jung said to Freud, "There, that is an example of a so-called catalytic exteriorization of emotion phenomenon."

"Oh come," Sigmund exclaimed. "That is sheer bosh."

"It is not," Carl replied. "You are mistaken, herr professor. And to prove my point I now predict that in a moment there will be another such loud report!"

CRACK!

Sure enough, no sooner had he said the words that the same detonation went off in the bookcase. Jung was unsure of what gave him such certainty and the emotion in his belly frightened him. But he knew beyond all doubt that the report would come again. Freud only stared aghast at the bookcase. The argument had abruptly ended.

After fetching Freud a glass of water, Jung sat down next to his grizzled and obviously shaken teacher. "So what do you think now?" Sigmund picked up his fatherly horn-rimmed glasses and placed them on his nose. "Keep a cool head, my son. It is better not to understand something than to make such great sacrifices to understand."