You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
A fascist state of mind may refer to a political ideology as well as an internal psychological state. Extremist right-wing ideology associated with nativism and xenophobia vilifies “others” so that they may be violently devalued and attacked. In some individuals, splitting and projective identification enable a pathological organization of the mind to defend against exposure to shameful vulnerability. Doubt, complexity, and inner conflict are eliminated to create a simplified, rigid, and violent mindset, producing idealization and denigration. In this paper, we consider Rosenfeld's (1987) description of destructive narcissism and Bollas' (1992/2012) depiction of a fascist state of mind to explore possible links between an individual's psychopathological experience and the destructive processes that contribute to the development of oppressive societies and totalitarian states.