Interpretation of Schizophrenia*

The title that I have chosen for my commemorative address is “Interpretation of Schizophrenia.” In so doing I have intended to create a double tie with the work by my beloved friend, Silvano. Indeed, for years schizophrenia has been at the center of my psychiatric interests, and its study, therefore, binds me to him; beyond that, his book, which was translated into Italian with the same original English title, collects the most significant ideas that this fertile author ever wrote in his life. We grew acquainted and became fond of each other exactly on this basis.

I clearly remember my numerous meetings with Silvano that go back to distant times in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. They were collegial at first, friendly later, and cordial at the end; our shared aims and views even led to Silvano's proposal that the two of us start a private psychotherapeutic practice in Rome, which would have become the basis of an academic institute. In this manner we would have moved to our Italian home country to which he had remained tied during his lengthy stay in America, much like myself during my stay in Switzerland. The plan remained unfinished because both of us hesitated leaving our workplaces in New York and in Basle.

When I reflect after all these years and ask myself how our contacts did influence my future work and my conceptualization of schizophrenia, I come to the following conclusion: First, that his personality has always been a luminous example for me, and second, that my interest in schizophrenic symbol was born in the colloquies with Silvano Arieti.

What has stimulated my thoughts in a major way has been his concept, which he expressed repeatedly, namely that the schizophrenic psychosis has to be understood not only at the level of its possible affective interactions with patients; to wit that there exists in them also and especially a strong cognitive-symbolic disturbance that accounts for the fact that interpersonal and intrapsychic conflicts are not articulated and ela