ABSTRACT
Although spider phobias and spider fantasies are by no means a clinical rarity, only a few psychoanalysts have reported on them. Two adult patients resorted to spider symbolism in critical emotional situations. The spider was a highly condensed symbol containing the core fantasies and conflicts from various developmental levels, in particular, breast and penis envy, primal-scene, bisexual and homosexual wishes and fantasies. The material which the patient produced and his behavior during the regressed state was overtly psychotic, dealing mainly with oral-sadistic attacks and counterattacks upon the spider-mother-breasts, that is, with biting and being bitten, with devouring and being devoured. A review of the remaining literature on spider symbolism regarding the type of patients and problems encountered might be of interest. Most investigators would seem to agree that the spider is a representation of the dangerous mother, and that the main problems of these patients seem to center around their sexual identifications and bisexuality.
