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Embodiment and psychopathology: a phenomenological perspective
Thomas Fuchs1, Jann E Schlimme
1Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. thomas.fuchs@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|September 5, 2009
Summary
Recent developments in phenomenological psychopathology highlight embodiment. This concept, exploring the subject-object body distinction, offers new insights into mental health conditions like schizophrenia and depression.
Area of Science:
- Phenomenological psychopathology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Embodiment is a central concept in recent interdisciplinary research.
- Phenomenology distinguishes between the subject body and object body.
- Understanding embodiment is crucial for psychopathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey recent developments in phenomenological psychopathology.
- To present embodiment as a key paradigm in current research.
- To explore the psychopathology of embodiment.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent interdisciplinary approaches.
- Analysis of phenomenological concepts of embodiment.
- Examination of embodiment in schizophrenia and depression.
Main Results:
- Embodiment is a key paradigm integrating philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience.
- A psychopathology of embodiment can be based on the subject-object body distinction, particularly the polarity of disembodiment and hyperembodiment.
- Phenomenological accounts of schizophrenia and depression illustrate these concepts.
- The relationship between phenomenological and neuropsychiatric perspectives on embodiment is discussed.
Conclusions:
- Combining phenomenology of embodiment with enactive cognitive neuroscience can overcome dualist mind-body concepts.
- Integrating phenomenological and ecological embodiment concepts advances understanding of mental illness.
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