In existographies, Helen Flanders Dunbar (1902-1959) (CR:4), or “H. Flanders Dunbar”, was an American polymath and psychologist noted for her 1943 Psychosomatic Diagnosis, where she outlines some type Freud-Reich version of “emotional thermodynamics”. [1]

Thermodynamics | Emotion
In circa 1930s, Dunbar, according to emotion theorist James Hillman, developed the concept of "emotional thermodynamics", based on the foundational energy psychology theories of Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (and possibly Carl Jung), according to which, supposedly, she considered emotion as energy analogous to the way in which heat is generated chemically and electrically.

In 1935, Dunbar, in her Emotions and Bodily Changes, devoted about nine pages to thermodynamics (some of which is shown below).

In 1943, in her Psychosomatic Diagnosis, she was referring to "emotional thermodynamics" as follows: [4]

“The basic law of Freud’s work, which now is a basic law of general psychiatry as well, may thus be called the ‘first law of emotional thermodynamics’ or conservation of vital energy.”


In 1935, Dunbar, in her Emotions and Bodily Changes, devoted 9+ pages to thermodynamics; some of which are shown above. [1]

In 1935, Dunbar, in her Emotions and Bodily Changes, devoted 9+ pages to thermodynamics; some of which are shown above. [1]

In this passage, to note, which seems to have caused a certain amount of stir in psychology community, is a misattribution, in the sense that Freud, a student of the anti-vitalism Helmholtz school, did not believe in the concept of “vital energy”, and thus this although he did believe in the concept of the conservation of emotional energy, as explained in his id, ego, super ego theory, the above passage seems to have been a slanted version of Freud’s theory suitable to Dunbar’s agenda, which seems to have been religious in underlying matter, as evidenced by the fact that her undergraduate work was in theology, and what have been called her later “interests in integrating religion and science”. [5]

Religion
Dunbar was a Dante scholar, theologian and medical doctor, who envisioned the motion that psychosomatic medicine would integrate the treatment of spiritual, emotional and physical suffering into a single framework. (Ѻ)

Reich
In 1932, Dunbar married Theodore Wolfensberger (1902-1954), who was the English translator of most of Wilhelm Reich’s books and articles, and also arranged for his immigration to the US.

Education
Dunbar the oldest child of Edith Vaughn Flanders (1871-1963), an Episcopalian clergyman's daughter who was a professional genealogist, and Francis William Dunbar (1868-1939), an electrical engineer and patent attorney. Helen's brother Francis was born 8 March 1906; he earned an M.A. in botany at Stanford University. The household included Dunbar's grandmother, Sarah Anne Ide Flanders (1827-1920), and her maiden aunt, Ellen Ide Flanders (1868-1961). Dunbar received her early education from tutors and at private schools.

In 1923, Dunbar, age 21, graduate from Bryn Mawr with a BA double marger in mathematics and psychology. Dunbar then, over the next seven years, completed four graduate degrees (in theology, philosophy, and medicine) from three different institutions in seven years (see: polymathy degree problem). She managed these studies, in part, by employing two secretaries/research assistants: Rosamund Grant and Mary Ewer. The following are Dunbar’s six total degrees: (Ѻ)

● SCD, Columbia University (1935)
● MD, Yale University,(1930)
● PhD, Columbia University (1929)
● BA, Union Theological Seminary (1927)
● MA, Columbia University (1924)
● BA, Bryn Mawr (1923)

Dunbar, while working on her BD at the Union Theological Seminary, took psychology of religion courses under James Leuba (1867-1946) (CR:8); she completed her MA in 1924, with a thesis on “The Sun Symbol in Medieval Thought”, her BD in 1927 at Union Theological Seminary on “Methods of Training in the Devotional Life Employed in the American Church”, which involved study of symbolism and ritual; completed her PhD in philosophy in 1919 with a dissertation on “Symbolism in Medieval Thought and its Consummation in the Divine Comedy” at Columbia University; she then studied abroad in Europe, in Vienna, at Cark Jung’s Burgholzlic Clinic, and did research on psychic factors in disease by travelling to Lourdes and to other healing shrines in Germany and Austria. In 1930, she completed her MD at Yale with a thesis on “The Optic Mechanism and Cerebellum of the telescope Fish”. [1]


In 1959, Dunbar, age 57, was found "floating face down" in her swimming pool; her dereaction reported as suicide, following a period, in her last years, of increased "stress handled with alcohol".

In 1959, Dunbar, age 57, was found "floating face down" in her swimming pool; her dereaction reported as suicide, following a period, in her last years, of increased "stress handled with alcohol".

Reaction end
Dunbar, seems to have suffered the reaction end phenomenon common to a number of founders of thermodynamics and suicide. Having endured a certain level of emotional abuse growing up, because of her 4’11’’ height, dubbed “Little Dunbar” in youth and “Pocket Minerva” at medical school, diagnosed with pseudo infantile paralysis, a "rachitic, weakening disease", and in adolescence with a "metabolic disturbance" (Powell, 1974); others have labeled her condition as “failure to thrive” (Hart, 1996). Her last reaction state is reported by Hendriak Kemp as follows: [2]

“Dunbar's last years were difficult, and she sometimes handled the stress with alcohol. Soule's views on social medicine created problems for her with the New York Academy of Medicine; a secretary committed suicide in 1948, a patient (Raymond Roscoe Squier) in 1951; Dunbar was in a near-fatal auto accident 1954; she had to defend herself against a senseless and sensational lawsuit. On 21 August 1959 Dunbar was "found floating face down in her swimming pool" (Powell, 1974, p. 275). The New York Times and Herald-Tribune reported her death as a suicide; the coroner ruled it simply death by drowning.”

Dunbar's stress increase, no doubt, was triggered into a higher level, when in 1942, she was forced to departure from her role as medial director of the Council Council for Clinical Training of Theological Students, which she began in 1930, for reasons was due in part to her Freudian and Reichian ideas. [2]

Quote | About
The following are about quotes:

“Dunbar suggested a physical mechanism for the psyche taken from the first two laws of thermodynamics in physics, which she called ‘emotional thermodynamics’. The first law describes the case where psychological energy seeks an …”
— Nissim Mizrachi (1998), The Institutional Management of Mind-Body Dualism: the Battle Over Psychosomatic Medicine (Ѻ)

References
1. Dunbar, Flanders H. (1935). Emotions and Bodily Changes: a Survey of Literature on Psychosomatic Interrelationships, 1910-1953 (thermodynamics, 9+ pgs). Columbia University Press, 1954.
2. Kemp, Hendrika V. (2001). “Helen Flanders Dunbar (1902-1959)” (Ѻ), The Feminist Psychologist, 28(1), Winter.
3. (a) Powell, R. C. (1974). Healing and wholeness: Helen Flanders Dunbar (1902-1959) and an extra-medical origin of the American psychosomatic movement, 1906-1936 (pgs. 81-82, 86). Ann Arbor, MI: Xerox University Microfilms, 75-2415.
(b) Hart, C.W. (1996). "Helen Flanders Dunbar: Physician, Medievalist, Enigma" (pg. 48), Journal of Religion and Health, 35(1):47-58, Spring.
4. (a) Dunbar, Helen Flanders. (1943). Psychosomatic Diagnosis (thermodynamics, 7+ pgs; emotional thermodynamics, pgs. 650-57). New York.
(b) Hillman, James. (1999). Emotion (emotional thermodynamics, pg. 70-71, 78). Psychology Press.
5. (a) Kemp, Hendrika V. (2001). “Helen Flanders Dunbar (1902-1959)” (Ѻ), The Feminist Psychologist, 28(1), Winter.
(b) McGovern, Constance M. (2000). “Helen Flanders Dunbar”, Webster.edu.

External links
1. Helen Flanders Dunbar – Wikipedia.