Psychological Disaggregation
Giuseppe Craparo
September 21, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003581802-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that psychological disaggregation, defined as a failure of synthesis permitting ideas and functions to operate independently of personal consciousness, is the core of Janet's psychopathology. Contends that narrowed consciousness and reduced psychological tension enable dissociation, and that fixed ideas, subconscious phenomena, and alternating states reflect impaired integrative capacity rather than repression. Proposes that Janet's structural model of fragmentation remains relevant to contemporary trauma theory. |
Abstract
This chapter analyses the concept of psychological disaggregation as the core of Janet’s psychopathology. Disaggregation is defined as a failure of synthesis that permits systems of ideas and functions to operate independently of personal consciousness. The chapter examines how narrowing of the field of consciousness and reduced psychological tension create the conditions for dissociation. Fixed ideas, subconscious phenomena, and alternating states of consciousness are presented as expressions of impaired integrative capacity rather than as products of repression. Through this framework, Janet’s theory is shown to provide a structural model of fragmentation that remains highly relevant to contemporary trauma theory.