The Activation of Unconscious Fantasies in Behavioral Treatments

Behavioral and psychoanalytic perspectives at therapeutic choice points.

“…Silverman and his colleagues and students have conducted a program of research that deliberately links the curative action of behavior therapy and the unconscious fantasy. They have tried to demonstrate that what is referred to as the “non-specific effects” of behavior therapy may be accounted for, in part, by the activation of unconscious fantasies (Mendelsohn & Silverman, 1984). Thus, in training a young man to be more assertive with his father, the behavior therapist may mediate behavior change by sanctioning a forbidden wish that makes up the unconscious fantasy (“I want to kill my father”) and by preparing the client for the expression and gratification of milder forms of the wish.…”

Imagery as an aid in working through unconscious conflicts: A preliminary report.

“…In response, I would first agree that in any therapy, symptom remission can be brought about by unintended as well as intended change agents. In fact, in recent writings my colleagues and I have proposed what we believe to be the most frequent change agents of this kind -the inadvertent activation of particular ameliorative unconscious fantasies, specifically fantasies of oneness (see e.g., Silverman, Lachmann, & Milich, 1982, chapters 8 and 9) and fantasies that the expression of tabooed impulses (usually oedipal) has been sanctioned (Mendelsohn & Silverman, 1984;Silverman, 1982). Thus I have given serious consideration to the possibility the skeptic raised.…”