Representations of Dread: the Dreaded Self and The Dreaded State of the Self
Ehud Koch
The Psychoanalytic Quarterly April 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1002/j.2167-4086.2000.tb00564.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that dread manifests as 'dreaded self' and 'dreaded state of the self' representations reflecting psychic dangers from feared identification to ego dissolution and nonexistence. Proposes that life crises and traumatic impingements determine these representations, that disavowal wards off recognition of the awful, and that they serve a preconscious signal function anticipating reexperiencing an original terror. Case examples illustrate the clinical utility of this language. |
Abstract
The experience of dread, an extreme form of fear that is induced by terror and horror, is seen as manifested in the shapes of a "dreaded self" and a "dreaded state of the self." These representations reflect psychic dangers ranging from a common, feared identification to states of disconnection, desolation, ego dissolution, and nonexistence. It is suggested that life crises and traumatic impingements, informed by developmental and psychic realities, are critical determinants of multiple dreaded self-representations; that disavowal often serves to massively ward off the recognition of the awful; and that these representations serve a preconscious signal function that anticipates the danger of reexperiencing an original terror. Case examples illustrate these points and reflect the utility of the language of dreaded representations in the treatment situation.