Abstract
The subject of this case study was a schizophrenic hospitalized for over 20 yr. A figure of ridicule, he appears delapidated and confused. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is some underlying coherence to his disordered thinking and perceptual processes. Based on existential principles, the method emphasized his sense of time, causality, and the external environment. During a 2-mo. period, the author recorded the patient's statements about a number of pre-selected conversational topics. The results suggested that his conscious experience is organized around the premise that nothing is definite. He is enveloped in a kind of perceptual fog and shows a corresponding indefinite quality in the cognitive realm. It was suggested that the veil of uncertainty protects him from the full impact of existential anxiety. The tendency of some schizophrenics to “destructure” reality is discussed in the light of existential theory.
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