ABSTRACT
Annihilation Anxiety dimensions and Symbolization processes reveal a distinct interplay between Annihilation Anxiety and its modification through a process of Desymbolization and then, Symbolization. In session 3 Mohamed describes the dangers he faced. Initially he reports incidents of killings, reflecting a concern over destruction of life, but the locus and focus is external to himself with the annihilation experience being somewhat ego distant. Concurrently with this progression towards higher levels of Annihilation Anxiety and, specifically in the experience of being invaded, we can also observe a progression in the disruption of meaning making. The affect experience had thus been defensively avoided. Mohamed adds that people ask such things of elders because they are experienced in dealing with problems. Mohamed again recounts details of his earlier torture experience, stimulated by the discovered presence of the former torturer. Mohamed progressively acknowledges the difficulty he experiences in controlling his behaviour.
