Snake mother imagery in generalised anxiety disorder

  • Symbols psychoanalysis, depth psychology, mythology and religion from a multiplicity of perspectives – there are many guidelines for their interpretation and integration in clinical practice. The present study, based on a Jungian analytic model, incorporated the snake mother as an imaginary symbol in a patient with generalised anxiety disorder and her treatment within a clinical case study. From an integrative symbolism approach, snakes are considered mysterious, with the ability to express the primary instinctual powers and psychic energy that take root beyond the ego strength and archetypal images. Here, with respect to the patient's main complaint and her underlying core conflict according to Jungian therapy and Persian mythology, it was indicated that the snake mother symbolism, an imagery object from childhood to adolescence, originated from both the personal and the collective unconsciousness. The way in which the symbolism of the snake mother came to work in the therapeutic process was similar to a that of dream and symbolism approach. The snake mother operated as an alternative animus in the shape of a caregiving mother, and supported the patient against her father's misbehavior during her early childhood. It could represent the shadow, the reconsolidation of the anima/animus for patient, and a projection of negative thoughts and actions from animal instincts.

Download full text files

  • Khodarahimi_S_2010.pdf

    File not available?

        (You will be redirectet to a request-form. You will need the IdNo there.)
    eng

Export metadata

Additional Services

Share in Twitter Search Google Scholar
Metadaten
Author:Siamak Khodarahimi
Parent Title (English):International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 19 (No. 3, 2010), pp. 165-171.
Document Type:Articles
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2010
Release Date:2019/03/04
Format:PDF-file upon request / PDF-Datei auf Anfrage
IdNo:Khodarahimi_S_2010
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Articles / Artikel
Licence (German):
Einverstanden ✔
Diese Webseite verwendet technisch erforderliche Session-Cookies. Durch die weitere Nutzung der Webseite stimmen Sie diesem zu. Unsere Datenschutzerklärung finden Sie hier.