Studies show that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students and the third leading cause of death among teenagers. When a crisis situation challenges “gifted young people,” also referred to by Jungians as puer aeternus, to call upon their coping skills and adapt they find that they are unequipped to deal with real world problems in an emotionally mature manner and fall into a downward spiral of maladaptive behavior. This can cause suicidal fantasies to develop. Applying the fantasy technique can be powerful in teaching and in therapy. The fantasy technique allows the individual freedom to express in a safe, comfortable and honest way, thoughts and feelings on uncomfortable subjects. When given the freedom to fantasize, an individual brings out material that can be interpreted, related to reality, and resolved. Through fantasy, the suicidal sufferer often confronts the fact that the effect of death is quite different from what he or she imagines. References