The "minimal self" in psychopathology: re-examining the self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearch

The notion of minimal, basic, pre-reflective or core self is currently debated in the philosophy of mind, cognitive sciences and developmental psychology. However, it is not clear which experiential features such a self is believed to possess. Studying the schizophrenic experience may help exploring the following aspects of the minimal self: the notion of perspective and first person perspective, the 'mineness' of the phenomenal field, the questions of transparency, embodiment of point of view, and the issues of agency and ownership, considered as different and less fundamental than the feeling of mineness. Two clinical vignettes of patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia will be presented: the first one, illustrating early illness stages, and the second case, of chronic schizophrenia, symptomatically marked by persistent hallucinations. Through their analysis, we will discuss the experiential dimensions of minimal self.
Original languageEnglish
JournalConsciousness and Cognition
Volume16
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)703-14
Number of pages12
ISSN1053-8100
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sep 2007

ID: 34173350