Omnipotence as a Defense

In the psychoanalytic literature, omnipotence, or a feeling of omnipotence, usually is considered as an “overestimation” (See Freud-Totem and Taboo, , p. 149)—as a refusal to adopt death as a fact, or something of an adjunct (Klein—The Psychoanalysis of Children, ) or as a symptom to be eradicated—as something superfluous—something unwanted—something that must be reduced if not entirely destroyed. Such an approach must necessarily face great obstacles. Inherently it is based on a misunderstanding, since nothing is causally superfluous in the body mechanism. Such an approach is superficial although in a sense it may achieve results. One can often see how feelings of omnipotence are hidden rather than removed or understood and worked through. Indeed it might be surprising to find in omnipotence something just less than life itself—one of the first post-natal manifestations of the death instinct —one of the first limitations upon life itself if not upon extended living. Freud himself seems to have come closer to this view in an earlier work (see later).

Omnipotence in its early prominently physical and later prominently psychical magical form must exist for some purpose. Magic is designed to control, and in fact, does control. It is difficult to feel that magic in the first place must refer to the inner world. The very connotation of the word “magic” drives one to think of the external world whether it be in a belief in magic, derision of magic, or even a scientific paternalism and projected objective examination of magic. With omnipotence the problem is even more difficult— the projected and anthropomorphic element intrudes itself with unbending force. In this unbending force then—might one not find part of the basis of omnipotence?

Let us approach the problem from another angle. Omnipotent means all-powerful. What is the meaning of “all?” What is “all?” “All” obviously refers to a measurable quantity—not measurable in a technical sense but in a delimiting sense. It con