Introduction

“Emptiness gives me an undefinable anxiety [notes an agoraphobic patient who also has fears of looking down from Alpine summits]. I feel oppressed, my legs become weak in exactly the same way as when I cross wide open spaces. The phenomena are rather similar but in addition I have a peculiar feeling of being attracted by the emptiness, by an irresistible force. I feel an emotion that may appear ridiculous but becomes increasingly exaggerated the more I react.” [His doctors Bernard and Jung comment:] The idea of the [Alpine] abyss makes him fearful, but not as much as the idea of the Place de la Concorde [the largest public square in Paris].