Introduction: commentaries and author's response to "The rise and fall of the autochthonous self: from Italian Renaissance Art and Shakespeare to Hediegger, Lacan, and Intersubjectivism" by Richard D. Chessick

This article addresses the unresolved question of the existence of a private core autochthonous self, as it has been described by Winnicott, Modell, and others. The postmodern version of the self has eliminated this concept entirely, relegating the self to a changing and unstable display, or regarding it as totally chaotic, or even an illusion. The question is raised whether by returning to the origins of this notion of a private self and then tracing its apparent dissolution it might be possible to discover some evidence that it still exists. The methodology used is that of obtaining knowledge directly through the arts and the claim is made that because empirical science has clamored to be the only source of knowledge, we have lost what could be obtained by direct intuitive seeing and experiencing the works of creative geniuses. To explore the rise of the autochthonous self this article provides an examination of the shift from Gothic art to Italian Renaissance art, a time which engendered the origin of "man" with his or her elusive private individual self that then became expressed in changing works of art. As this spread north, Shakespeare appeared and similarly invented and illustrated in his characters the private individual self, a concept not appreciated or recognized before the Renaissance. But as science arose and Western civilization began to decline, a corresponding disillusionment with "man" took place. The self began to be viewed as solely a social construction with no core except perhaps a genetic endowment. This was accompanied by a reduction in the concept of the human as a valuable and precious living being and was replaced by regarding the human as an object of control and exploitation. After the Second World War a movement in contemporary United States psychoanalysis gradually replaced the ideas of Freud and his emphasis on the "I" in the psychoanalytic process, with forms of relational therapy, assuming that the self was ab initio intersubjectively formed and could be altered fundamentally by focus on intersubjective processes. The author contends that this attitude makes it less likely for the psychoanalyst to focus on the regressive transferences from which derivatives of the private self arise and to grasp the phenomenological whole of the patient (p. 625).     

"On cyclic insanity" by Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum,MD: a translation and commentary

Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum (1828-1899) spent most of his professional career as director of a private psychiatric sanatorium in Germany. He remains influential for introducing his "clinical method" (based on considering the course of an illness as well as the signs and symptoms) of differential diagnosis of specific psychiatric syndromes and urging abandonment of the more unitary views of psychotic disorders favored by the leading German academic theorists of his time. Kahlbaum's approach to nosology, detailed in an 1863 monograph and other works, strongly influenced Kraepelin's views. However, remarkably few of the important writings of this keen clinical observer are available in English translation. His seminal lecture-essay "On Cyclic Insanity" [Uber cyklisches Irresein] of 1882 is translated into English here for the first time, with comments about its place in the history of the evolution of the concept of bipolar disorder, including its position as a link between Falret's folie circulaire and Kraepelin's manic-depressive insanity.     

Review of Attachment, play, and authenticity: A Winnicott primer

Reviews the book, Attachment, play, and authenticity: A Winnicott primer by Steven Tuber (see record 2008-04633-000). This book is a vibrant introduction and explication of one of the most important writers and thinkers in our field. The British pediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott gave us many concepts that have become part of our therapeutic lexicon, such as the "transitional object", "good enough mothering", "holding", "the true and false self", and "the capacity to be alone." However, reading Winnicott's work often proves to be a difficult task; his writing is often idiosyncratic and dense. This is where Steven Tuber has given us a real gift. This clear and clinically relevant book spells out with great clarity and richness the main ideas and structure of Winnicott's contribution and how to apply them to one's clinical thinking and work. The reviewer provides details on his personal experience while reading this book and concludes that this book is essential reading for every psychotherapist, regardless of one's orientation or of the clinical population with which one works. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).     

Outils numériques en psychiatrie et art-thérapie,quels points de rencontre possibles ?

Digital has gradually infiltrated all areas of our daily lives. Health and mental health have not escaped the arrival of new technologies and has seen many new devices of care, using connected objects, applications, or artificial intelligence. However, addressing the digital issue is a delicate subject as it is clear that this field is wide and constantly evolving. However, the new possibilities offered by digital are an incredible opportunity to modernize the therapeutic setting. Moreover, the arrival of the new generation which have grown with these digital technologies requires to consider the responses to be made to the changes induced by digital technology. One of the domains which has been used by psychiatric to care their patient for years was the art therapy. This field is interested in expression and creation as a possible source of recovery. And the question of digital technology in art therapy is all the more important than numeric has already been integrated in art through the concept of numeric art. Despite this observation it could be difficult to envisage therapeutic setting modification to incorporate digital field in art-therapy as it is also important to take account of pathological aspects. To address this issue, we propose to develop in this article the current knowledge about digital application in mental health. In this part we develop three paragraphs about the applications in psychiatry, the serious games and the virtual reality, and the devices online such as massive open online courses and social networks. We then propose to present the current status of numeric art with a presentation of the history of numeric art and some examples of this construct. And then we propose to discuss of the possible mutation in art therapy in touch with digitals mutations. This discussion implies to address the question of the therapeutic setting in art therapy and the general question of changes induces by digital in our thinking and habits. This discussion also proposes to develop concrete possibilities to set up these technologies in art therapy.     

Au nom de la raison neurobiologique

Problem

Neurobiology, adorned with the most recent discoveries of the molecular biology, the genetics and the cognitive sciences, is present everywhere: In the report of the man with his body, with his intellectual faculties, with his perception of others and himself. Our social conducts, morality and our affects would be governed by neuronal substrata. Are things so simple?

A psychoanalytic study of the appreciation of art

In this article I have used the self-object phenomenon, a discovery emanating from Kohut's new view of narcissism, as an organizing concept to consider the appreciation of art. The palpable art piece is described as a linking object which connects the psychological subjectivities of the artist and his audience. Immersion in the creative process is described as a progressive force which promotes the development of the personal self of the artist and also the viewing public who share in the artist's imaginative discoveries.     

Le soi corporel

Numerous studies give a central role to the body in the constitution of the self. But a question remains: is the self the body (bodily self) or is the self in the body (embodied self)? The article aims to answer this question and thereby accounts for the nature of the self in relation to the body, by investigating bodily experience. Is bodily consciousness a form of self-consciousness immune to errors through misidentification or is bodily consciousness neutral in itself, and attributed to the self only in a second step? Answering this question implies to differentiate two types of bodily consciousness: consciousness of the body-object, relying on a process of identification, and consciousness of the body-subject. The latter does not imply any process of identification of the body and is thus immune to errors through misidentification. Even if immune, this form of bodily self-consciousness is not infallible. It can be replaced by an observational consciousness of the body, non immune, in different pathological and experimental conditions. Consciousness of the body-subject is specifically described as a non-intentional consciousness of the intentional body, that is, a consciousness of the body as it aims intentionally at the world and thereby a non-intentional consciousness of itself. The specificity of this pre-reflexive bodily self-consciousness gives supports to the conception of the self as bodily, by opposition with the conception of the self as embodied.     

Sine ars scientia nihil est: Leonardo da Vinci and beyond

The aim of this article is to reflect on the relationship between art and science so far as it concerns a symposium on neurosciences. We undertake a historical overview of that relationship, paying particular attention to the sui generis case of Leonardo da Vinci, who very often is regarded as the man who worked on art and science with equal ease. We then explain why his idea of merging these two forms of knowledge failed, considering the clear-cut distinction between art and science in his time. With this clarification, we explore the matter today. We look at Raphael's The Transfiguration, in which the representation of the possessed boy is seen by neuroscientists as indicative of an epileptic seizure. We also look at the ideas of neuroscientists Semir Zeki and Vilayanur Ramachandran, who study particular aspects of brain function and suggest a new merging of art and science.     

Peer with intellectual disabilities as a mindfulness-based anger and aggression management therapist

A young man with intellectual disabilities (ID) and mental illness, who had previously been taught to successfully manage his aggressive behavior by using Meditation on the Soles of the Feet, reported that he shared his mindfulness practice with his peers with ID. When requested by his peers, and without any training as a therapist, he began to teach this procedure to his peers for controlling their anger and aggressive behavior. We tracked the anger and aggressive behavior of three of the individuals he taught and the fidelity of his teaching of the procedure. According to self and staff reports, anger and aggressive behavior of the three individuals decreased to very low levels within five months of initiating training and remained at very low levels for the two years during which informal data were collected. The fidelity of his teaching the procedure was high, if one allows for his idiosyncratic teaching methods. These findings suggest that individuals with mild ID, who have mastered an effective mindfulness-based strategy to control their aggressive behavior, may be able to teach their peers the same strategy to successfully control their anger and aggressive behavior to a level that is acceptable for community living.     

Preserved painting abilities after a stroke. The case of Paul-Elie Gernez

In a famous paper published in 1948, the French neurologist Théophile Alajouanine discussed the influence of aphasia on artistic output. He used as examples three artists he had personally examined. They were the musician Maurice Ravel, the writer Valery Larbaud, and a painter whose name was not mentioned. We have now discovered the identity of this painter and therefore present, for the first time, with the permission of his family, an analysis of the works of Paul-Elie Gernez (1888-1948) before and after his cerebral stroke. This painter's ability to produce works of art was not really diminished by his aphasia. However, we do believe that there was a change in his style, which seemed to become less poetic, as though his ability to "invent" had decreased and he had lost some of his spontaneity. This and other published cases strongly suggest that in some artists the effect of cerebral lesions is different from that found in individuals with no artistic training. This difference may be attributable to the presence, in the former, of an expanded cortical representation, secondary to their lifelong formal training.     

Ego, my double. (The Golyadkin phenomenon)

A man is haunted by his Double. The great romantic tradition lends Dostoyevsky one of its dearest subjects. The Double, not only the exact physical duplication of the hero, but also a man with the same name, plots against Mr. Golyadkin, impersonates him both at work and in his private life, leads him to madness. This essay represents an attempt to clarify the stages of the adventurous relation of the subject to its Double, starting from the Hegelian "Phenomenology of the Spirit" and the Lacanian "Mirror Stage". If the construction of the human Ego is a narcissistic alienation to the image reflected by the mirror, the potential exit from the alienation lies in the Symbolic Order inhabited by the institution of the language. The Dostoyevskian hero gets into the Order of the language already trapped by the image of his mirror, by his projection. This projection (which constitutes his paranoia) will lead him to his annihilation, because Mr. Golyadkin cannot grasp its inner meaning.     

Benjamin Franklin, electricity, and the palsies: on the 300th anniversary of his birth

Benjamin Franklin was involved not only with the nature of electricity but with its possible medical utility. He conducted electrical experiments on people with palsies, notably those caused by stroke, to see if electricity from machines could restore movement. Franklin recognized that electricity was not the miraculous cure it was hoped to be, and he presented his findings in 1757 as communication to the Royal Society. Although he did not provide names or individual case studies in this communication, subsequently published in 1758, his personal letters reveal that he treated at least two important colonists: James Logan, William Penn's secretary and a prominent public official in Pennsylvania, and Jonathan Belcher, governor of several provinces. Franklin's private letters shed light on how he conducted his clinical "tryals" and why he drew the conclusions he did in his report to the Royal Society.     

Effect of electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of senile depression with marked pseudohysterical symptoms

Two elderly patients with prolonged depression and prominent pseudohysterical symptoms were successively treated using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Patient 1, a 71‐year‐old woman, developed depression in anticipation of her husband's retirement from his post as a college president and his receiving of a civilian decoration . She became bedridden because of the adverse effects of the antidepressants, and she was admitted to our hospital. Initial treatment was efficacious to some extent; however, after moving from a private room to an eight‐person ward, she began to exhibit passive‐aggressive behavior and seemed to seek attention. Her diagnosis and treatment was difficult, but ECT relieved her symptoms. Patient 2, a 74‐year‐old man, developed depression after experiencing domestic trivialities. Treatment as an outpatient produced numerous adverse effects and was of little effect, so the patient was admitted to hospital. As was seen in patient 1, this patient was moved to a ward room after he showed an initial improvement, but his condition deteriorated and he began to show passive‐aggressive behavior; ECT also relieved his symptoms. A multidisciplinary strategy, including ECT during the early period of treatment, might be effective for the treatment of senile depression.     

Examen de conscience et prise de conscience

The consequences of acquiring awareness are manifold in the field of psychopathology. To get better understanding of mechanisms involved in acquiring awareness, we studied the question of examination of conscience. In the field of philosophy, self-examination dates back to Ancient Greece and can be followed to Montaigne and Kierkegaard. This means of self-awareness can be linked to a religious practice. Examination of conscience is indeed present in the main religious traditions. In the Confessions, Saint-Augustin elaborates upon the changes and transformations brought about in his life due to a fundamental awakening of the consciousness, that of being made for God; this example undoubtedly constitutes the paradigm of Christian examination of conscience. Moreover, religious authors often underline the dangers involved in an examination focused on the self and shut off from the concept of otherness. It would seem that this acquisition of awareness cannot be achieved without a certain distance from the self, as suggests Jaspers who defines it as a route towards a revelation.     

Individuation,countertransference and the death of a client

Abstract

Many art therapists work with client groups who confront death and dying on a daily basis. My experience is rather different as I work in private practice as a Jungian analyst as well as an art psychotherapist. It was the deaths from cancer, at a relatively early age, of two of my private clients and the diagnosis of a third which led me to consider this topic. The paper is an exploration of boundaries and transference and countertransference issues which emerge when, in the process of therapy, the client becomes terminally ill. It is proposed that those who are about to die may form particularly intense erotic attachments and that this is characteristic of a speeding up of the individuation process. The paper is based on the case of a suicidally depressed man who formed an immediate, dependent and erotic transference. After three months, he was diagnosed as having an inoperable lung cancer. From then on the analytic frame was challenged by pressures to act out in a number of different ways. I will argue that maintenance of the analytic frame enabled the individuation process to continue to the end.¹     

Pollock, Warhol, Basquiat, Haring 20th century American painters from a psychological perspective

Pollock, Warhol, Basquiat and Haring made an international reputation for themselves with their art foremost of the American artists of the 20th century, and became pop cultural icons for the man in the street and for the media as well. Accordingly to the habits of the consumer society their art and even themselves become product and consumer's goods. Their not mistaken, individual style - which also became their trademark - makes that possible. The connection between the four artists is that each of them had a dependent personality, their fine art activity was arguable in their period, and after all themselves and his artworks get into the increased attention of the media. These four artists embody the brand-new artist type, who steps into a star status. Besides the artworks the artist also get into the focus of interest. Through psychological aspect their artworks tell a lot about their way of life, their personality, and the social estate around them. Four of them were catalysts, they set new art trends. The influence of Basquiat and Haring stretched over to the 21st century, and keeps going in the graffiti street-art which gets into the "high art" at last, and captivates the art galleries and critics as well.     

"I am rather satisfied with this interpretation of my dreams." -- real-life and work-related encounters between psychiatrist Johann Christian August Heinroth and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Apart from being a major pioneer of modern psychiatry, Johann Christian August Heinroth (1773 - 1843) is foremost famous as the first academic teacher, professor of this subject at Leipzig University. Despite his theoretical concepts being thoroughly investigated by medical historians, the fact that his scientific work also brought him in contact with Weimar poet and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) has up to now not been acknowledged. This paper analyses for the first time the manifold points of contact between the two geniuses. Starting off with a retrospective on Goethe's relationship towards psychiatry in his day, this paper investigates the mutual interconnections and influences between the two. This is achieved by an analysis of yet unknown primary sources as well as Goethe's literary and scientific works. A main emphasis is also placed on Heinroth's Textbook of Anthropology of 1822 in which the psychiatrist laid out his understanding of 'relational thinking' (gegenst?ndliches Denken), a key concept for both. This theory developed from Heinroth's dealing with Goethe's concept of "anschauung" and was to gain major importance not only for his way of gaining knowledge in general but also for his psychiatric concept. Goethe's influence on Heinroth is particularly revealed in the latter's holistic views on mental illnesses. Heinroth's visit to Goethe on 15 September 1827 can be earmarked as a sign of their mutual esteem.