…have become familiar with key findings from the neurosciences, attachment theory and Terror Management Theory (TMT) that validate many aspects of my theory. In addition, I have had the opportunity to gather further data and insights from individuals in both clinical and non-clinical populations that have contributed significantly to my understanding of human behavior. These developments have further convinced me of the value of revising The Fanta…
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…es, behavior, and physical and psychological well-being. Terror management theory is focused on the role that awareness of death plays in diverse aspects of life. In this webinar, Dr. Solomon will discuss the theory’s implications for understanding the widely varying ways in which people have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of whether one consciously believes that the virus is a major threat to life or only a minor inconvenience, fe…
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…is both exhilarating and addictive Empirical studies in Terror Management Theory (TMT) have found that people displayed an increased reliance on defense mechanisms to maintain self-esteem when experimenters manipulated their unconscious death anxiety. Their comprehensive research tends to validate my hypotheses regarding the origins of ethnic strife and warfare. For example, in one experiment, subjects whose death awareness was subliminally arous…
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…: Glendon Association. Firestone, R.W. (2018) The Enemy Within: Separation Theory and Voice Therapy. Phoenix AR: Zeig, Tucker, & Thiesen, Inc. Firestone, R. & Catlett, J. (2009). Beyond Death Anxiety: Achieving Life-Affirming Death Awareness. New York: Springer Florian, V., & Mikulincer, M. (2004). A multifaceted perspective on the existential meanings, manifestations, and consequences of the fear of personal death. In J. Greenberg, S. L. Koole, &…
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…1936/1972) and Ernest Becker (1973/1997), researchers in Terror Management Theory describe the impact of existential dread on individual defense formation and on the culture at large, and support their thesis with experimental evidence (Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 2015). They elucidate how the manner in which individuals defend themselves collectively becomes imbedded in the conventional social patterns of a given society. To summarize the…
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…is the essence of the concept of differentiation.” (Definitions from Bowen Theory). In the pinnacle moment of Descendants, the four “bad” kids are poised to betray their new friends out of obedience to their parents. Ben intervenes, “Your parents made their choices. Now you make yours.” No matter what our backgrounds, we all have the opportunity to choose, today, who we really want to be. It might not be easy. We may encounter anxiety and resistan…
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…findings in the neurosciences, attachment research, and terror management theory (TMT). An important addition to the area of personality development theory, The Self under Siege offers a new perspective on differentiation and the battle to separate ourselves from the chains of the past. It provides psychotherapists and other mental health professionals with the tools needed to help clients differentiate from the dysfunctional attitudes and toxic…
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…d candid style, Dr. Solomon discusses the development of Terror Management Theory, the ways in which people form defenses against death anxiety and the concept of life affirming death awareness, arguing that we can “accept the reality of the human condition and parlay that into bringing out the best in us. ” He also addresses the societal effects of death awareness, including the social nature of human beings, the role of education and government,…
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…e their… Learn More Viewing clinical issues through the lens of attachment theory has helped me enormously in my work with clients. Problems and dysfunction make perfect sense when viewed through this lens. Take my client Becky, for instance. (I’ve changed her name for confidentiality purposes.) Becky had a problem with drinking. She turned to drink whenever she felt anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. In her words: “It helps me numb out, and sudden…
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…act violent television has on us. Drawing on insights from both Separation Theory and Terror Management Theory, Solomon and Basset explain how our attraction to watching fictional violence is rooted in sensation seeking, a desire for mastery over perceived dangers, and a need to believe in a just world. They also offer a novel interpretation that views the need to manage existential anxiety as an important force underlying the consumption of viole…
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