TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1993//
TI  - Gazing into Medusa's eyes: the fear of being seen and attacks on insight
JO  - British journal of psychotherapy
A1  - Ariv, Gail Y.
SP  - 142
EP  - 158
VL  - 10
IS  - 2
N2  - Using a theme from a once weekly therapy I explore the problem of gaining insight when both seeing and being seen are experienced as attack with fears for survival. I use the Oedipus legend to describe narcissistic attacks on sight and the compulsion to return to a rejecting mother. The figures of Hades realm and the story of the Medusa portray the stuck, blind, somatised states I am describing together with the rage, envy and longing involved. I suggest that a cyclic image of movement is useful in the therapy where excessive splitting into opposites with male/female connotations has occurred. Through the theme of eyes, seeing and being blind I develop the relation between critical super-ego penetration and feelings of submission, violation, exposure and shame that induce the need to stay hidden and affect sexual feelings as well as inter and intra-psychic relating.<p />
LA  - en
SN  - 0265-9883
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0118.1993.tb00642.x
ID  - ref1
ER  -