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Islamist radicalization, which is a structure linking religion, politics and history, is a phenomenon in the collective register that resonates at the individual level. From the psychoanalytic point of view it may be seen as a symptom. We must “pick up” on this by our means of analysis, by listening to the person in a very particular way. What the jihadis show us is that today an individual is faced with the problem of whether or not to become one (a jihadist). In order to think about the subjectivity with which we work, I have done some research in a prison on the basis of psychoanalytically-oriented interviews with inmates charged with conspiring with a terrorist organization. The aim of the research was to understand the subjective issues involved in Islamic radicalization today. A clinical case is presented with the aim of reflecting on the processes that led someone towards their singular act, while being caught up in a collective, cultural and historical phenomenon. The quest for an ideal and limits are among the key issues which led a young person to leave for Syria and to risk his life.