Since its introduction psychoanalysis occupied metaphorical space between science and humanities. The literature concerning this demarcation is critically reviewed. Current hypotheses regarding the methodological position of psychoanalysis find their achillesheel in the nature of the psychoanalytic data which essentially stem from free association. The nature of these `data' is discussed. The conclusion is that if psychoanalysis ever wants to engage in productive apposition with other disciplines like neurobiology, it will be necessary to refrain from taking a solely hermeneutic position. In future it will be necessary to develop more sophisticated methods to study psychoanalytic data.