Synthesized answer
Freud mentions Gassendi in the context of an examination episode where he was asked how he knew Gassendi was a follower of Epicurus. Freud boldly replied that he had taken an interest in Gassendi for a long time, which resulted in a certificate with a _magna cum laude_. However, this event unfortunately led to a persistent tendency to forget the name Gassendi, which Freud attributes to a guilty conscience because he "had no business knowing it at that time" [1].
The passages indicate that the narrator experiences a "persistent tendency to forget the name Gassendi" [1] as a result of this examination episode. This forgetting is presented as an example of a slip of the tongue or a memory lapse, similar to other instances described in the text. The passages do not provide further details about the examination episode itself beyond the interaction concerning Gassendi and the resulting academic success and subsequent forgetting.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
t was Pierre Gassendi, whom two days before while in a café I had happened to hear spoken of as a follower of Epicurus. To the question how I knew this I boldly replied that I had taken an interest in Gassendi for a long time. This resulted in a certificate with a _magna cum laude_, but later, unfortunately, also in a persistent tendency to forget the name Gassendi. I believe that it is due to my guilty conscience that even now I cannot retain this name despite all efforts. I had no business knowing it at that time.” To have a proper appreciation of the intense repugnance…
hen one is compelled to inform them that there is no help for the patient, they answer: “_Sir_ (Herr), what can I say? I know that if he could be saved you would save him.” In these sentences alone we can find the words and names: _Bosnia_, _Herzegovina_, and _Herr_ (sir), which may be inserted in an association series between _Signorelli_, _Botticelli_, and _Boltraffio_. (_c_) I assume that the stream of thoughts concerning the customs of the Turks in Bosnia, etc., was able to disturb the next thought, because I withdrew my attention from it before it came to an end. For I recalled…
e miracle of St. Januarius into a clever allusion to the courses of the woman.” “It was surely without my knowledge. And do you really believe that my inability to reproduce the word ‘_aliquis_’ was due to this anxious expectation?” “That appears to me absolutely certain. Don’t you recall dividing it into _a-liquis_ and the associations: _reliques_, _liquidation_, _fluid_? Shall I also add to this connection the fact that St. Simon, to whom you got by way of the _reliques_, was sacrificed as a child?” “Please stop. I hope you do not take these thoughts--if I really entertained…
ver idea I was unable to recall it. Thereupon I immediately withdrew from the company and wrote my concealing thoughts. I first recalled the name of the friend who had witnessed the birth of this (desired) thought, and of the street in Budapest where it took place, and then the name of another friend, whose name was Max, whom we usually called Maxie. That led me to the word ‘maxim,’ and to the thought that at that time, as in the present case, it was a question of varying a well-known maxim. Strangely enough, I did not recall any maxim but the following sentence: ‘_God created man in…
ly took place....” “Well, what else comes to your mind? Why do you hesitate?” “Something really occurred to me ... but it is too intimate a matter to impart ... besides, I see no connection and no necessity for telling it.” “I will take care of the connection. Of course I cannot compel you to reveal what is disagreeable to you, but then you should not have demanded that I tell you why you forgot the word ‘_aliquis_.’” “Really? Do you think so? Well, I suddenly thought of a woman from whom I could easily get a message that would be very annoying to us both.” “That she…