Killing to stay alive. Perspectives on understanding the psychic dynamics of cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer

This study questions the role of archaic psychic conflicts in the behavior of a cannibal criminal, to understand how primary fantasies can acquire a compulsive logic based on early experiences of precarious care. To this end, we will look at the case of Jeffrey Dahmer, known as “the Milwaukee cannibal”. After outlining elements of his anamnesis, we will try to understand aspects of his unconscious conflicts and the mechanisms that governed his mode of operation. Dialoguing with psychoanalytic authors who enable us to theoretically base our reasoning, we will try to show that the compulsive materialization of his fantasies of devouring and his necrophiliac practices, aimed at repairing the fundamental bases of his failed psychic structure.

Key words:
Archaic fantasies; primordial object; compulsion; cannibalism; necrophilia