A Contribution to the Psychology of Bodily Feelings

The philosophical dualism of body and mind, and the assumption that there is a mutual cause and effect relationship between them, is of crucial significance in the psychoanalytic theory of bodily feelings. This paper attempts to present a psychologically consistent approach to these problems which is devoid of abstractions belonging to other frames of reference such as anatomy or physiology.

Illustrative observations from the experiences of a schizophrenic woman are cited and certain theoretical inferences are offered. The ego has three sorts of relationship to the body: 1, The silent feeling of well-being. This consists of a preconscious awareness of the body, which is, so to speak, taken for granted. 2, Feelings associated with increased interest in the body, including an almost limitless diversity of affects, for example, pain, itching, paresthesias, anesthesias, and feelings of bodily estrangement. The common quality in these diverse feelings is an increased interest or cathexis of the ego toward the body. 3, Feelings associated with decreased interest in the body. Under this term we similarly categorize many diverse affective states which have in common a relative diminution or complete lack of interest in the body on the part of the ego. This notion is analogous to the loss of interest in human objects, familiar to us from the theory of schizophrenia. Clinical examples are cited to illustrate the theoretical concepts described, and the pertinent psychiatric literature is reviewed.