Imagination and Self Disorders in Schizophrenia: A Review.

Anomalies of imagination are common and disabling in schizophrenia spectrum disorders but have been neglected in psychopathology due to the lack of a conceptual framework. Recently, the link between minimal self disorders and pathology of imagination has been emphasized. This article discusses that initiative by drawing on the recent imaginary turn in phenomenological research, which is active in philosophy but rarely applied in psychopathology or cognitive sciences. The authors examine psychopathological literature on anomalous fantasy and imagination, provide an overview of the phenomenological imaginary turn, and explore how fantasy and imagination are involved in embodiment and identity. They also consider implications for psychotherapy and recovery.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Anomalies of imagination are frequent and handicapping in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) but neglected in psychopathology due to the lack of a conceptual framework to model disorders of imagination. Recently, the link between minimal self disorders and pathology of imagination has been emphasized. The aim of the present article is to discuss this initiative by stressing their paradigm drawing on the recent imaginary turn in phenomenological research. Although this field of research is currently very active in philosophy, there are very few translational approaches in psychopathology or cognitive sciences. In this paper, we examine how contemporary research concerning fantasy and imagination can lead to the elaboration of an epistemological and phenomenological framework for schizophrenia research. We first examine the psychopathological literature on anomalous fantasy and imagination in SSDs. Then we propose an exhaustive overview of the imaginary turn of philosophical phenomenology. Further, we examine the theoretical and practical implications of such a recasting of phenomenological research. We show how fantasy and imagination are involved in the embodiment process, and how identity and imagination are interlinked. Finally, we propose an overview of the possible implications for the understanding of psychotherapeutic processes and recovery strategies.