Oneness Fantasies Revisited

The research program initiated by Lloyd Silverman on effects of the subliminal activation of oneness fantasies concluded that unconscious oneness fantasies can enhance adaptation if, simultaneously, a sense of self can be preserved. However, formulations with respect to the developmental origins of these fantasies and their ubiquitous role in pathology and everyday life may have overemphasized the contribution of the fantasy of a oneness experience and under-estimated the equally important contribution of the experience of a preserved, intact sense of self. To redress this imbalance, oneness experiences and sense of self are proposed to define the endpoints of a dimension of experience optimally characterized by a flexibility to span this range. Although we assume that experiences throughout the life span contribute to this dimension, we use the data from empirical infant research to suggest that early experiences of matching, disruptions, and repair of ruptures in mother-infant interactive attunements make a relevant contribution to its establishment. It is suggested that this range of experience is represented and subjected to symbolic elaborations, a process that continues throughout life. The oneness fantasy is proposed as a product of symbolic elaboration, a fantasy formation of later childhood or the adult mind.