Henri Ey's neojacksonism and the psychopathology of disintegrated mind.
Benedetto Farina, Maurizio Ceccarelli, Massimo Di Giannantonio
Psychopathology January 1, 2005 DOI: 10.1159/000088447 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractHenri Ey's organo-dynamic theory of mind and consciousness, developed 50 years ago, integrates Hughling Jackson's neurology with psychiatric and philosophical ideas from Janet and Bergson. By rejecting Cartesian dualism and treating mind and body as an inseparable unit, the model supports integrated treatment of mental disorders. Ey's view of consciousness as both synchronous and diachronic anticipated modern theories by Damasio, Edelman, and Mesulam. Recent neuroscience advances have revived interest in this once-overlooked framework.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that Henri Ey's organo-dynamic theory, which treats the mind-body as an inseparable whole and conceptualizes consciousness as both synchronous and diachronic, anticipates current neuroscientific theories of consciousness and offers a framework for integrated treatment of mental disorders. |
Abstract
The French psychiatrist Henri Ey developed his organo-dynamic theory of the mind function and consciousness 50 years ago incorporating Hughling Jackson's thinking, along with psychiatric and philosophical theorizations by Janet and Bergson. This model has not received the attention it deserved, but recent advances in neuroscience rekindled interest for Ey's theory. By overcoming the Cartesian mind-body dualism and treating the mind-body unit as an inseparable whole, this model opens the way for the integrated treatment of mental disorders. Ey's conceptualization of consciousness as being simultaneously both synchronous and diachronic anticipates current theories of consciousness (Damasio, Edelman, Mesulam).