Identity Cannibalism in Narcissistic Persons: Lessons from Anthropology.

BACKGROUND: Cannibalism is a practice based on the assimilation of the enemy, characterized by different ritual phases. The cultural anthropologist Francesco Remotti provides insight into this practice, stating that the Tupinamba tribes - an ethnic group living along the Eastern Atlantic coast of Brazil - use it to demonstrate their superiority over the defeated group. After capturing a prisoner, the assimilation process begins, which prepares the prisoner for the cannibalistic act through a specific sequence of steps.

SUMMARY: Remotti's research on cannibalism is applicable to the world of narcissism. The way a narcissistic individual relates to others is a paradigmatic example of cannibalistic rituals. This study aimed to catch the structural components of the narcissistic relationship, rooted in Remotti's anthropological perspective, and to explore the associated phenomenological and psychopathological characteristics.

KEY MESSAGE: We present a new perspective for understanding the interpersonal relationship characteristic of a narcissistic person, which we have termed "identity cannibalism."