ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the prominent features of an Icarus complex. It discusses how aspects of early trauma are inevitably enacted in the treatment relationship. Predictably, the hazardous displays of the Icarian are prone to provoke countertransference reactions that, much like a failed parachute, collapse an analytic attitude. The chapter presents the features of an Icarus complex, all of which combine in turning a passive experience into an enlivening enactment. An understanding of how early trauma manifests in an Icarus complex allows for a nuanced view of a BASE athlete, and a more dynamic perspective views the athlete’s performance as adaptive and creative rather than merely a reckless stunt. Aspects of a trauma history inevitably emerge in enactments within the treatment relationship. For the extreme athlete, the reality of physical injury is the price of admission for the privileged ride.
