Emotions and Schizophrenia
Cambridge University Press eBooks July 8, 2026 DOI: 10.1017/9781009627269.022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Transformative learning Clarity Phenomenology philosophy Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Section typography Emotional disorder Cognitive reframing Psychotherapist Distressing |
| Key points | Argues that people with schizophrenia often have a low threshold for breakthrough experiences, from despair and psychotic states to moments of clarity resembling mystical experiences, and that understanding these emotional states can inform therapeutic approaches. |
Abstract
In this chapter, the phenomenology of emotions in people with schizophrenia is explored. A nuanced understanding of the specific emotional challenges in schizophrenia, together with their transformative potential, can inform psychotherapeutic and rehabilitative approaches and help to uncover their healing dimensions. The first section of the chapter examines the emotional world of the person with schizophrenia, focusing on profound emotional vulnerabilities and the alienating role that emotions can assume in this condition. The second section turns to the edge of human experience that gives rise to breakthrough and transformative experiences, all of which are intimately tied to emotion. People with schizophrenia often have a low threshold for a range of such breakthrough experiences, from falling into a ‘black hole’ of utter despair and anxiety‑laden psychotic states to moments of clarity and insight that resemble mystical experiences. The third section explores the therapeutic and healing potentials inherent in these emotional states.