Iran’s collective phantasies and the search for power
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In Iran, feelings of helplessness stemming from recent conflicts have led people and the state to rely on collective phantasies, unconscious patterns of thought, to cope with vulnerability and seek restoration of power.
The article explains that when a group feels powerless, it often creates scenarios involving harmed parties, responsible actors, and the need for justice. These scenarios draw on historical, religious, and mythical figures who embody desired qualities like strength, victimhood, or the ability to restore order.
The author differentiates collective phantasy from shared beliefs, describing it instead as an unconscious organization of feelings and expectations within a group. These phantasies aren’t just about remembering figures from the past, but about using them to process current experiences and make them more manageable. Cultures pass down these “repertoires of collective phantasies” to help future generations understand and respond to challenges. In contemporary Iran, both the state and its opposition utilize these phantasies.
The Islamic Republic frequently invokes Hussein, a figure from Shia Islam who suffered martyrdom, to frame its own vulnerability as righteous oppression. Conversely, segments of the opposition draw on the memory of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last king of Iran, as a symbol of lost power and unjust exile.
Simultaneously, the state uses Ali, another key figure in Shia Islam known for his strength, to project an image of potential power, while some in the opposition look to Reza Shah, Ali’s predecessor, as a strong leader who can restore order. These figures allow individuals to reframe their experiences, from helplessness to justified suffering, or from weakness to potential strength, and envision a path forward.
