Psycho-Analysis of Space

Philosophers and psychologists have not given sufficient attention to the fact that there is not only a space outside of the body but also a space which is filled by the body. The image of the body extends in space and already implies space perception. Body space is strictly senseless without an outward space. When we speak about narcissism we should not forget that an outward space and the space of the body are the necessary basis for the unfolding of narcissistic tendencies.

This primitive space is probably less unified than the developed space. The primitive space is centred around the openings of the body and so has several centres. Narcissistic space can be characterized by space experiences in mescal intoxication. I reproduce here a protocol of Beringer and Mayer-Gross.1

'The space of one's own is difficult to describe. It is not clear to me any more, and I don't think it was during the experiment. Therefore, I can't describe the perception of space proper but only the details. It was a space of other, i.e. bigger dimensions. The colour phenomena took place in this space. When motion took place and something shot out of the depth, it came out of this universe. In spite of that it did not seem difficult to reach it with my hand. When I tried it then, I realized that the hand lived in the normal space. The space was fundamentally not different from the normal space, it had all dimensions. But the starting-point, the relation to myself, was absent. I could not have said which was below or above, right or left of me. The law of gravity did not exist. There were no definite distances. When I tried to localize a pin-prick or a noise, I moved my hand in the air, wanted to go through my head but realized this was not possible. Then I tried to find the point behind my hand and became aware that my hand existed in another space than myself. "I" was in another space like a point in a universe for which the connotation below and above, right and left, h