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Ariana Azoulai

Prof. Batty, English 102

11/15/2017

You Are the Fear: a Psychoanalysis of The Communion

Monsters are known for scaring their victim, but what is it that gives them this ability? In

Whitley Striebers novel, The Communion, he recounts his true story of encountering terrestrial

beings which he gives the title, the visitors. Theres something about these visitors that scare

Strieber and other abductees, but what could it be? Some readers may believe the visitors to hold

the key to Whitleys fears, but I argue that the main source of fear stems from Whitley himself.

By applying a psychoanalytic lens, the works of Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, and Julia

Kristeva unveil Striebers subconscious fears of the unknown, which in turn, give power to these

monsters.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) is one of the more popular psychoanalysts that others build

their ideas and theories off of. Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in the small town Freiberg,

Moravia. He was a bright child who attended medical school (one of the few options available to

Jewish men at the time). He became involved with research and studied neurophysiology for a

time before setting up a practice in neuropsychiatry, obtaining help from Joseph Breuer. Making

some headway, Freud began to spread his ideas through the use of books and lectures, often

receiving mixed opinions. Freud would surround himself with many who believed in his studies

and those people went on to become the core of the psychoanalytic movement (Boeree, Freud

and Psychoanalysis).

By applying one of Freuds theories, the uncanny, Striebers internal source of fear

towards the visitors becomes clear. The unknown goes against everything one is familiar with, it
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is uncharted territory. However, something that is known (for the most part) is the human body

(usually consisting of two eyes, a nose, and a mouth). When one sees an unfamiliar being that is

physically similar to a human but is not exactly the same, that being is uncanny. The uncanny

are felt as unsettling or unnerving and the reason for this is because ...what is uncanny is

frightening precisely because it is not known and familiar (Freud 2). When Strieber fears these

visitors, a part of it is the fact that they are so similar to a human yet arent quite the same;

uncanny. This creates the feeling of something crawling on your skin, an uneasiness, horror.

Strieber describes the visitors as having the same structure (two eyes, a nose, and a mouth) as

humans but theyre distorted, being only ...five feet tall, very slender and delicate, with

extremely prominent and mesmerizing black slanted eyes. This being had an almost vestigial

mouth and nose (Strieber 20). These visitors have humanistic characteristics, they possess eyes,

a nose, and a mouth but theyre of different shapes and sizes. This, once again, paints the visitors

as uncanny. The introduction of this new (or old) species is terrifying for Strieber because their

looks are not only uncanny, but they are unknown as well.

Another one of Sigmund Freuds theories is on the psyche which is separated into the id,

ego, and superego. Focusing just on the id, it is the core of the psyche, in the sense that it is

where everyone begins. It is the most primitive out of all three and is based on instinct, meaning,

and is also part of the unconscious. In an article titled, Freud and Psychoanalysis by Dr. C.

George Boeree, one of the ids main focuses are defined as ...a demand to take care of needs

immediately (Boeree, Freud and Psychoanalysis). According to Freud, the id is driven by

pleasure so it is always focused on fulfilling its needs. In Striebers novel, he encounters what he

believes to be a female alien who draws up a libidinal (sexual) reaction from his id. Despite

being terrified, Strieber feels a sexual pull towards this being and thinks the following: She was
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undeniably appealing to me. In some sense I thought I might love this being-almost as much as I

might my own anima (Strieber 100). Although Strieber is overcome with fear, his animalistic

and instinctual side comes through. A part of Strieber (his id) is drawn to this creature but he

doesnt understand why. This is partially why these visitors are so frightening. They draw up

emotions from within Strieber that he didnt even know were there. Striebers newfound

emotions combined with the discovery of these visitors creates a cocktail of the unknown and

contributes to part of Striebers fear.

Another notable psychoanalyst was Jacques Lacan (1901-1981) who used Freud as

inspiration when creating his studies. Lacan (fully named Jacques-Marie-mile Lacan) was born

in Paris on April 13, 1901. He came from a Catholic background and attended the school of

Jesuit. After Lacan finished high school, he began his studies of medicine and later psychiatry.

After WWII, Lacan began to make waves in the psychoanalytic community, often seen as

controversial. As a result, Lacan was banned in from the International Psychoanalytic

Association in 1962. In 1980, Lacan told his followers that they are the only ones who can

change, that it is ...up to [them] to be Lacanians if [they] wish; I am Freudian (Sharpe,

Jacques). Lacan had done his part for the psychoanalytic community and felt fulfilled in

serving Freud but he wanted his followers to know they needed to do the same. They needed to

take the initiative and add to the community if they wanted to.

By analyzing Lacans Register Theory and Striebers experience, one can understand

why the unfamiliarity of the visitors is so horrifying for Strieber. Lacan, like Freud, believed the

psyche to have three sections/registers; the real, the imaginary, and the symbolic. All three of

these registers intertwine with one another, and if one is imbalanced then neurosis (a mental

disorder that can cause stress or a deficit in functioning) can appear. The first stage in Lacans
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Register Theory is titled as the real register. This is register is during the prenatal phase of life

(0-1 month) and is driven by need and satisfaction. It is almost animalistic and ones main focus

is to fulfill their needs. Everything in this stage is equal in value which means their is no

distinction between self and other, there is only the urge to satisfy needs. The second register is

titled the imaginary register. During this register, things start to take on shapes and have

outlines. While this register is still prior to the language barrier, the mind begins to makes things

clearer and assign values to different things. The imaginary register allows the imagination to fill

in the void the real register left behind, thus, making images complete. The third and final

register is the symbolic register. This is when language comes into play and the use of

metaphors, symbols, and signs are used to begin communication. This register begins the finality

of the real register and starts the introduction of the language barrier. Language is created by

using metaphors, symbols, and signs, which can form a skewed perception of reality. These tools

of communication are the only things that one sees, which makes it impossible to know what

reality really is. Strieber may unknowingly have an imbalance in one of his registers, and as a

result, have neurosis. Many times in the novel, Strieber seems to be out of it, as if he has

neurosis or his perception is distorted. An example of this is during his first encounter with the

visitors on the night of December 26th. He awakes in the middle of the night and sees a glow,

believing it to be a fire, but when he goes to tell his wife about it, it disappears; I hadnt gotten

halfway across the room before the glow suddenly disappeared. I was very confused. There was

nothing to do but tell Anne that I had made a mistake (Strieber 36). Theres a possibility that

the glow Strieber saw wasnt real. It is also impossible to know what is real and what isnt

because of the symbolic register. Striebers well being and reality is unknown. Hes terrified of
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these visitors because theres a possibility theyre a figment of his imagination, he just doesnt

know it.

Julia Kristeva is another vital influencer on the psychoanalyst community who is known

for her works in structuralist linguistics, psychoanalysis, semiotics, and philosophical feminism

(Oliver, Julia Kristeva). Kristeva was born on June 24, 1941 in Sliven, Bulgaria. Her work is

characterized by an early structuralist-semiotic phase and a later psychoanalytic-feminist phase.

One of Kristevas most notable contributions to the psychoanalytic community, was her

distinction between the semiotic and the symbolic aspects of language (Oliver, Julia Kristeva).

Kristevas theory on the abject helps in pinpointing what triggers Striebers inner fear of

the unknown. Kristeva is most well-known for her in-depth essay, Powers of Horror: an Essay

on Abjection, which is based on the theory of the abject. The quick-cut definition of abject is

to cast off. In regards to horror and literature, Kristeva defines the abject as the following:

...the human reaction (horror, vomit) to a threatened breakdown in meaning caused by the loss

of the distinction between subject and object or between self and other (Felluga, Modules). In

this case, the human reaction of horror or vomit would be cast off in response to seeing

something (such as a corpse) that reminds the human of their own mortality. In Striebers novel,

he has various instances where he abjects. As a child, Strieber was vulnerable to visits from the

visitors. During one of his regression appointments, he recalls as a child being heavily ill on the

way back from a trip for an unknown reason; ...on that trip, on the way back I was as sick as a

dog. Vomiting and vomiting up bile (Streiber 83). Striebers face-to-face encounter with the

visitors caused him to feel as if he were face-to-face with his own demise. As a result, he was

casting off his own experience and dread through abjection. Its a terrifying prospect for

Strieber to have been unaware as to why he was vomiting, which was an effect of being around
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the visitors. Even when his memory was screened, his body was still showing signs of distress.

Which makes one think, what else are they capable of?

Whether Striebers experience was real or not, the source of his fears for these visitors

comes from the unknown. Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, and Julia Kristeva show that

Striebers uneasiness for these creatures is more so internal, rather than external. What makes

these visitors soscary are Striebers own experiences and perceptions which shape how he

reacts to them. This theory not only applies to the visitors, but is susceptible to any monster.

The fear of a monster does not lie in the monster itself, but instead, lies in the one who fears it.

Works cited

1. Boeree, Dr. C. George. Freud and Psychoanalysis. 2000,

webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/psychoanalysis.html+.

2. Felluga, Dino. "Modules on Kristeva: On the Abject." Introductory Guide to Critical

Theory. 31 Jan. 2011. Purdue U. 2 Nov. 2017.

<http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/psychoanalysis/kristevaabject.html>.

3. Felluga, Dino. "Modules on Lacan: On the Structure of the Psyche." Introductory Guide
to Critical Theory. Date of last update, which you can find on the home page.
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Purdue U. Date you accessed the site.

<http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/psychoanalysis/lacanstructure.html>.

4. Freud, Sigmund, et al. The Uncanny. Penguin Books, 2003.

5. Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror - An Essay on Abjection. Columbia University Press,

cup.columbia.edu/book/powers-of-horror/9780231053471.

6. Oliver, Kelly. Julia Kristeva. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.,

13 Aug. 2009, www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Kristeva.

7. Sharpe, Matthew. Jacques Lacan (19011981). Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,

www.iep.utm.edu/lacweb/#SH1a.

8. Strieber, Whitley. Communion. Souvenir Press Ltd, 2016.