And what if many-even if most-of the Slothropian stars are proved, some distant day, to refer to sexual fantasies instead of real events? This would hardly invalidate our approach, any more than it did young Sigmund Freud's, back there in old Vienna, facing a similar violation of probability-all those Papi-has-raped-me stories, which might have been lies evidentially, but were certainly the truth clinically. You must realize: we are concerned, at PISCES, with a rather strictly defined, clinical version of truth. We seek no wider agency in this.
In this excerpt, the author discusses the nature of truth in the context of sexual fantasies and their representation in the lives of individuals. By referencing Slothropian stars, which may symbolize various sexual experiences or desires, Pynchon argues that even if these are not grounded in reality, they still hold significant clinical meaning. He suggests that the validity of one's experiences should not be solely judged by their factual authenticity.
Pynchon draws an analogy to Freud's work, indicating that stories deemed untrue by traditional metrics can still possess profound psychological truths. At PISCES, the focus is on a specific clinical interpretation of truth rather than pursuing broader or more subjective understandings. This perspective highlights the importance of recognizing and validating personal narratives, regardless of their alignment with objective reality.
