The psychology of the lone terrorist: Identification with the aggressor in individuals and in societies

Abstract

The German pilot Andreas Lubitz, who intentionally crashed a plane with 149 passengers, killing all on board including himself, had been a patient in psychiatric and psychotherapeutic consultations. This paper deals with the legal and psychoanalytic consequences of this action, including terminological issues concerning terrorism.

Key words:

• terrorism
• disclosure of contents of psychotherapy
• aggression against psychotherapy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Klaus Hoffmann

Professor Dr. med. Klaus Hoffmann, born in 1954, is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Since 1997, he has worked as medical director of the forensic hospital in Reichenau, Germany, and since 2002, he has been head of the Institute of Psychoanalysis Zürich-Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, a member institute of the IFPS. He has been since 2008 a lecturer in the psychology department of Konstanz University, since 2000 a member of the IFPS executive committee, and since 2012 regional editor of the International Forum of Psychoanalysis for Central Europe. His publications deal mainly with psychoanalytic approaches with severely disturbed patients, history of psychoanalysis and transcultural psychiatry.