The "minimal self" in psychopathology: re-examining the self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum
September 1, 2007 Naudin, Jean, Cermolacce, Michel René Joseph, Parnas, Josef
The concept of a minimal, basic, or core self is debated across philosophy, cognitive science, and developmental psychology, but its specific experiential features remain unclear. Examining schizophrenic experience can clarify aspects of this minimal self, including perspective, first-person perspective, the sense of 'mineness' of experience, transparency, embodiment, and the distinction between agency and ownership. Two clinical vignettes of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia are presented: one in early illness stages and another with chronic schizophrenia marked by persistent hallucinations. Their analysis explores the experiential dimensions of the minimal self.