DENIAL AND THE NUCLEAR THREAT

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DENIAL AND THE NUCLEAR THREAT

• Ann Malkin
• Consultant Clinical Psychologist and
  Psychotherapist

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Freud and Psychoanalytical View

• Conscious and unconscious mind
• Unacceptable impulses, memories, thoughts pushed
  down into unconscious mind
• Various mechanisms of defence effect this process
• Most common is denial

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Denial

• It cant happen
• It hasnt happened
• Man is too rational to ever do such a thing
• It will be decided by committee/ cabinet. That
  will provide adequate restraint
• Benevolent deity/ power will protect us
• Paralysis or apathy
• Nuclearism (Lifton) manic embrace of the
  weapons

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Other forms of denial

• The danger has passed
• Denial of murderous impulses
• Linguistic tools