Subliminal psychodynamic activation method and annihilation anxiety: preliminary findings

Research with the subliminal psychodynamic activation (SPA) method has led to improvements in subjects' functioning in a variety of areas, including but not limited to weight control, school grades, and feelings of general anxiety. In 1987, Hurvich proposed that the SPA method could be used to further the understanding of annihilation anxiety. 100 nonclinical subjects completed questionnaires pertaining to annihilation anxiety, psychological differentiation, and state anxiety and were tachistoscopically exposed to the subliminal message of symbiotic-like oneness, MOMMY AND I ARE ONE, and to control messages. Analysis showed that women with low annihilation anxiety had significantly lower state anxiety than women with high annihilation anxiety, regardless of the content of the subliminal message; results did not reach significance for men. Correlations among scores on the questionnaires also were noted.