Citation

Bruns G. Int. J. Psychoanal. 2024; 105(3): 292-311.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Institute of Psychoanalysis, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1080/00207578.2024.2350209

PMID

39008041

Abstract

This text compares four essays dealing with war, state terror in dictatorships, social violence such as racism, mourning and the avoidance of mourning. It shows that dictatorships share similarities in their techniques of manipulation, linguistic style and reference to history. They seek to exploit national myths through manipulative alienation. Myths are a central element of cultural memory, and their effect can be understood through a model of internal dialogue. This dialogue determines whether the regime's attempts at manipulation are successful.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Culture; Grief; *Warfare; collective memory; cultural memory; mental effects of war and terror; mourning; myths; Racism/psychology; unconscious in the community; Violence/psychology